[Mono-list] Web Forms, Apache module mod_asp.net?

[Sam Ruby]

Jay Freeman wrote:
>
> Exactly, it is important to consider that there is more to ASP.NET
> development than WebForms.  Before even thinking of doing work on this
> people should take a long hard look at Jakarta (Apache's implementation of
> the Java Servlet specification, blessed by Sun as the reference
> implementation).  ASP.NET is really designed in the same regard as this is.
> There are HttpModules to consider, .NET objects that implement interfaces
> that can modify the flow of website operations at levels as low as
> authentication.  WebForms and ASPX files in general should really be
> implemented as an HttpModule that runs within the application server (much
> as JSP files are a specific Java servlet).
>
> As you mention, this is how ASP.NET works, there is an ISAPI connector that
> connects to an out-of-process application server to do the actual work.
> This is identical to how Jakarta works, the application server itself is
> 100% Java with a number of connectors for various web servers.  Virtually
> every concept in ASP.NET has a duplicate in Jakarta: AuthenticationModules
> to Jakarta Realms, config.web/web.config to Java Servlet's web.xml, etc..  I
> guess it's time for the obligatory link to some archive where I've mentioned
> this before:
> http://discuss.develop.com/archives/wa.exe?A2=ind0009A&L=DOTNET&P=R16681 .
>
> Frankly, I'd like to see any work on this be consumed under Apache as an
> Apache project and work closely with Costin on Jakarta rather than be a
> separate entity or be attached to Mono (which I'd much prefer stick to a
> core implementation).

As an Apache member, I can tell you that what you describe would likely be
very welcome there.

Unfortunately, as Chair of the Jakarta Project Management Committee, I can
tell you that it is not likely to find a home within Jakarta.  The mission
of Jakarta is focused specifically on Java.

A plan with much more chance of success would be to propose a project which
is a peer to, and parallels Jakarta.

Something that I would personally find immensely more satisfying - is to
actually find a way to host the actual Jakarta projects on top of the Mono
runtime.  And, for that matter, the xml.apache.org projects, such as
Cocoon.  ;-)

- Sam Ruby