Release 0.2 of Haskell/Java VM Bridge is now available in source-code form. New in Version 0.2: Haskell: * 'Haskell' now a separate Autotools project installing in /usr/lib/jvm-bridge/ * New array region access functions * Correct array types in autogenerated class interfaces * Subtype parameters in autogenerated class interfaces * VMLayer 'env' parameter now implicit * Various changes in the BasicLayer * new native StartExecuteFunction function called by getExecuteFunctionClass, defineCallbackClass Native: * Mac OS X support * Beginnings of MinGW32/Cygwin support * New Sun 1.4 JVM * Now installs in /usr/lib/jvm-bridge/ * ExecuteFunction bindings now done at run-time Haskell/Java VM Bridge allows Haskell programs access to the Java Virtual Machine. It comes in two parts: the 'Native' part, that abstracts away differences in the various Java VMs, and the 'Haskell' part that provides a Haskell API. The Native part is not Haskell-specific, and could potentially be used by other languages wishing to access the Java VM. Features include: * Calling of Java methods, access to fields, array-handling; * Integration of garbage collectors; * Reconciliation of exception models; * Reconciliation of thread models, including 'synchronized' monitor support and the ability to fork Haskell actions as Java threads; * Strong typing for Java classes and method argument lists (as tuples), and use of Haskell lists as arrays; * Creation of Java classes 'on the fly' (using DefineClass and the Java Class File Format) that can have Haskell callback methods; * Lifted monads which do all the necessary JNI class and method/field ID preloading and 'JNIEnv'-pointer variable handling for you -- these can be automatically generated via a tool (MakeJVMModule); * Layered design includes lower-level IO-based interface; * Automatic generation of modules for Java API classes; * All relevant imports, flags and libraries etc. handled by a single GHC package 'javavm'; * No 'unsafe' Haskell calls or pure function FFI anywhere; * Easy to port to new Java VMs. This release should be 'beta' quality, but has undergone little testing. You will need: * An x86 machine running some form of Unix, or a Mac OS X machine; * GHC 5.02.4 or later; In particular, GHC 5.02.2 and earlier will not work on Mac OS X. * A Java VM. It's been tested only with Sun's JVM, but should (may?) work with a number of others. Haddock documentation is currently blocked on a bug in Haddock ("implicit parameters"). Should that be fixed, you will be able to build API documentaion by doing "make doc". Some simple examples have been included such as a program that shows a Java Frame containing an instance of a Haskell-defined subclass of Canvas that has a Haskell 'paint' method that draws an oval. You should be able to figure out most of it from that. Haskell/JVM Bridge and source code is licensed under the GNU Lesser GPL. <http://sourceforge.net/projects/jvm-bridge/> Future plans: * port to Cygwin * use hierarchical module structure * separate out pure (non-FFI) Haskell into a separate package * better typing for the IO-based layer -- Ashley Yakeley, Seattle WA Almost empty page: <http://semantic.org/>