Overview - ISO/IEC 13719-4:1998 (PCTE IDL binding)
ISO/IEC 13719-4:1998 defines the IDL binding (Interface Definition Language) of the Portable Common Tool Environment (PCTE) to the CORBA Interface Definition Language (IDL). It specifies how the abstract PCTE model (from ISO/IEC 13719-1) is mapped into IDL interfaces, datatypes, sequences and operations so that PCTE services can be accessed in a CORBA-distributed environment. The standard also constrains implementation limits and provides object‑oriented extensions (Annex C) and source file structure guidance (Annex B).
Keywords: ISO/IEC 13719-4, PCTE, IDL binding, CORBA IDL, datatype mapping, sequence interface, object reference.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Binding strategy: Aligns IDL-generated C interfaces closely with the PCTE C binding (ISO/IEC 13719-2) to minimize application changes while enabling distributed access.
- Datatype mapping: Maps basic PCTE types to IDL types (e.g., strings to IDL string, integer/natural to IDL long, boolean to IDL boolean) and prescribes pseudo-objects for complex types.
- Sequences as pseudo‑objects: All sequence operations are grouped under a Pcte_sequence interface (create, insert, delete, get, append, normalize, etc.). Sequences are mapped internally to CORBA sequences but exposed via operations to preserve compatibility with PCTE semantics.
- References and factories: Introduces PCTE_RF (Reference Factory) to provide operations that return references without a controlling reference; defines Pcte_object_reference, Pcte_link_reference and Pcte_type_reference interfaces.
- Naming and implementation details: Specifies naming changes (e.g., attribute -> attribute_ref, object -> object_ref), source file organization (annexed), and differences in generated C code (union and enum handling).
- Conformance and limits: Defines conformance to PCTE abstract spec and identifies implementation limits (clause 24) and error-condition bindings (clause 25).
Practical applications and users
Who benefits:
- Middleware and CORBA implementers integrating PCTE services into distributed systems.
- Tool and systems-engineering vendors seeking standard interoperation between development tools.
- Systems integrators and architects building distributed tool environments, repositories or object-bases that must expose PCTE APIs across networks.
Practical uses:
- Exposing PCTE repository operations (objects, files, schemas, volumes, processes, security, auditing) through CORBA-based interfaces.
- Enabling language-neutral access to PCTE services from heterogeneous clients using standard IDL stubs/skeletons.
Related standards
This standard is essential when you need a standardized CORBA/IDL mapping of PCTE to support distributed tool integration and consistent cross-language bindings.