An IDL compiler for Haskell.
HaskellDirect is an IDL compiler for Haskell, which offers a helping hand to the Haskell programmer that wants to better interact with and reuse external code.
Interfacing Haskell code to external code involves the conversion of values between the Haskell world and the outside, as data representations and details of how memory is managed, are worlds apart at times. Manually writing the boilerplate code that takes care of this conversion is about as exciting as watching grass grow and, as a result, error prone.
Using an Interface Definition Language (IDL) as basis, HaskellDirect automates the generation of such impedance matching code, generating all the necessary marshaling code for you.
With IDL, the functionality provided by a programming interface is specified in a programming language neutral framework. The HaskellDirect IDL compiler converts this specification into a set of method stubs. Depending on how the compiler is invoked, these stubs can be used to:
Call upon external functions from within Haskell, HaskellDirect creates bindings to external (C-callable) libraries.
Let external code call upon Haskell functions, HaskellDirect creates foreign/external language interfaces to Haskell libraries.
Call COM (Microsoft's Component Object Model) methods from Haskell, HaskellDirect helps you use Microsoft COM components from within Haskell. The generated stubs can be used with Hugs98 or GHC.
Create COM method wrappers, HaskellDirect packages up Haskell code as COM components.
The HaskellDirect IDL compiler currently groks both the OSF DCE dialect of IDL (including the various extensions introduced by the Microsoft IDL compiler) and the OMG IIOP/CORBA dialect. (Only the former can be used for describing COM interfaces.)