Interface description language
Encyclopedia
An interface description language (or alternatively, interface definition language), or IDL for short, is a specification language
used to describe a software component's interface
. IDLs describe an interface in a language-neutral way, enabling communication between software components that do not share a language – for example, between components written in C++
and components written in Java
.
IDLs are commonly used in remote procedure call
software. In these cases the machines at either end of the "link" may be using different operating system
s and computer languages. IDLs offer a bridge between the two different systems.
Software systems based on IDLs include Sun
's ONC RPC, The Open Group
's Distributed Computing Environment
, IBM
's System Object Model
, the Object Management Group
's CORBA
(which implements OMG IDL, an IDL based on DCE/RPC), Facebook
's Thrift
and WSDL
for Web service
s.
Specification language
A specification language is a formal language used in computer science.Unlike most programming languages, which are directly executable formal languages used to implement a system, specification languages are used during systems analysis, requirements analysis and systems design.Specification...
used to describe a software component's interface
Interface (computer science)
In the field of computer science, an interface is a tool and concept that refers to a point of interaction between components, and is applicable at the level of both hardware and software...
. IDLs describe an interface in a language-neutral way, enabling communication between software components that do not share a language – for example, between components written in C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
and components written in Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
.
IDLs are commonly used in remote procedure call
Remote procedure call
In computer science, a remote procedure call is an inter-process communication that allows a computer program to cause a subroutine or procedure to execute in another address space without the programmer explicitly coding the details for this remote interaction...
software. In these cases the machines at either end of the "link" may be using different operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s and computer languages. IDLs offer a bridge between the two different systems.
Software systems based on IDLs include Sun
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
's ONC RPC, The Open Group
The Open Group
The Open Group is a vendor and technology-neutral industry consortium, currently with over three hundred member organizations. It was formed in 1996 when X/Open merged with the Open Software Foundation...
's Distributed Computing Environment
Distributed Computing Environment
The Distributed Computing Environment is a software system developed in the early 1990s by a consortium that included Apollo Computer , IBM, Digital Equipment Corporation, and others. The DCE supplies a framework and toolkit for developing client/server applications...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
's System Object Model
System Object Model
In computing, the System Object Model is an object-oriented shared library system developed by IBM. DSOM, a distributed version based on CORBA, allowed objects on different computers to communicate.-Applications:...
, the Object Management Group
Object Management Group
Object Management Group is a consortium, originally aimed at setting standards for distributed object-oriented systems, and is now focused on modeling and model-based standards.- Overview :...
's CORBA
Çorba
Chorba , ciorbă , shurpa , shorpo , or sorpa is one of various kinds of soup or stew found in national cuisines across Middle East...
(which implements OMG IDL, an IDL based on DCE/RPC), Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
's Thrift
Thrift (protocol)
Thrift is an interface definition language that is used to define and create services for numerous languages. It is used as a remote procedure call framework and was developed at Facebook for "scalable cross-language services development"...
and WSDL
Web Services Description Language
The Web Services Description Language is an XML-based language that is used for describing the functionality offered by a Web service. A WSDL description of a web service provides a machine-readable description of how the service can be called, what parameters it expects and what data structures...
for Web service
Web service
A Web service is a method of communication between two electronic devices over the web.The W3C defines a "Web service" as "a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network". It has an interface described in a machine-processable format...
s.
Examples
- Avro IDLAvro (serialization system)Avro is a remote procedure call and serialization framework developed within Apache's Hadoop project. It uses JSON for defining data types and protocols, and serializes data in a compact binary format...
: An IDL for the Apache Avro system - Etch (protocol)Etch (protocol)Etch is an open source, cross-platform framework for building network services, first announced in May 2008 by Cisco Systems. Etch encompasses a service description language, a compiler, and a number of language bindings...
: Cisco's Etch Cross-platform Service Description Language - IDL specification languageIDL specification languageIDL is a software interface description language created by William Wulf and John Nestor of Carnegie Mellon University and David Lamb of Queen's University, Canada.Like other interface description languages, IDL defined interfaces in a language- and machine- independent way, allowing...
, the original Interface Description Language - Microsoft Interface Definition Language: the Microsoft extension of OMG IDL to add support for DCOM
- OMG IDL: an IDL standardized by Object Management GroupObject Management GroupObject Management Group is a consortium, originally aimed at setting standards for distributed object-oriented systems, and is now focused on modeling and model-based standards.- Overview :...
and implemented in CORBAÇorbaChorba , ciorbă , shurpa , shorpo , or sorpa is one of various kinds of soup or stew found in national cuisines across Middle East...
for DCE/RPC services, also selected by the W3C for exposing the DOM of XML, HTML, and CSS documents - Open Service Interface DefinitionsOpen Service Interface DefinitionsOpen Service Interface Definitions are programmatic interface specifications describing services. These interfaces are specified by the Open Knowledge Initiative to implement a Service-Oriented Architecture to achieve interoperability among applications across a varied base of underlying and...
- Protocol BuffersProtocol BuffersProtocol Buffers are a serialization format with an interface description language developed by Google. The original Google implementation for C++, Java and Python is available under a free software, open source license....
: GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
's IDL - Slice: The Specification Language for ICEInternet Communications EngineThe Internet Communications Engine, or Ice, is an object-oriented middleware that provides object-oriented Remote Procedure Call, grid computing and Publish/subscribe functionality developed by ZeroC and dual-licensed under the GNU GPL and a proprietary license...
- SWIGSWIGSWIG is an open source software tool used to connect computer programs or libraries written in C or C++ with scripting languages such as Lua, Perl, PHP, Python, R, Ruby, Tcl, and other languages like C#, Java, Modula-3, Objective Caml, Octave, and Scheme...
: Simplified Wrapper and Interface Generator - ThriftThrift (protocol)Thrift is an interface definition language that is used to define and create services for numerous languages. It is used as a remote procedure call framework and was developed at Facebook for "scalable cross-language services development"...
: IDL from ApacheApache Software FoundationThe Apache Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation to support Apache software projects, including the Apache HTTP Server. The ASF was formed from the Apache Group and incorporated in Delaware, U.S., in June 1999.The Apache Software Foundation is a decentralized community of developers...
. Originally developed by FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as... - Universal Network ObjectsUniversal Network ObjectsIn computing, Universal Network Objects is the component model used in the OpenOffice.org application suite of programs. It is interface-based and designed to offer interoperability between different programming languages, object models and machine architectures, on a single machine, within a LAN...
, OpenOffice.orgOpenOffice.orgOpenOffice.org, commonly known as OOo or OpenOffice, is an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. OpenOffice is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software...
's component model - Web IDL
- WSDLWeb Services Description LanguageThe Web Services Description Language is an XML-based language that is used for describing the functionality offered by a Web service. A WSDL description of a web service provides a machine-readable description of how the service can be called, what parameters it expects and what data structures...
, the Web Services Description Language. - XCBXCBIn computing, XCB is a C language binding for the X Window System. It is implemented as free software and aims to replace Xlib. The project was started in 2001 by Bart Massey....
: Network protocol description language for X window systemX Window SystemThe X window system is a computer software system and network protocol that provides a basis for graphical user interfaces and rich input device capability for networked computers... - XPIDLXPIDLXPIDL is the interface definition language developed by Mozilla.org to specify XPCOM interfaces.It is similar to the Object Management Group's CORBA IDL....
: Mozilla's Cross-Platform IDL
See also
- Java Interface Definition LanguageJava Interface Definition LanguageIn software development, Java Interface Definition Language, or Java IDL, is an implementation of the CORBA specification and enables interoperability and connectivity with heterogeneous objects. It is basically an Object Request Broker provided with JDK...
- List of computing and IT abbreviations
- Software componentry
- Universal Interface LanguageUniversal Interface LanguageA Universal Interface Language is a language that allows for an interchange of deep information between objects. It does this by allowing an object to experiment on another object to determine what it thinks the object is capable of....
- User interface markup languageUser interface markup languageA user interface markup language is a markup language that renders and describes graphical user interfaces and controls. Many of these markup languages are dialects of XML and are dependent upon a pre-existing scripting language engine, usually a JavaScript engine, for rendering of controls and...