Looks like my server was bouncing all of yesterday's mail, so I'll reply to a couple things here:
Dan wrote: "I just don't understand your bias against nsjava. After all, it is an TCL extension module."
I don't have any bias against nsjava. I've said it many times that it is great, in several posts here. Maybe I haven't been able to make my intended point come across, perhaps due to a language barrier.
I'll say it again: I think nsjava is great, and it's great to have Java integration, and it's great to be able to give our users that functionality, and I think your work is great, and you are a great hacker. And although I think it's overhyped and misused in some places, I like Java.
What I was trying to say was basically what Don said regarding packaging and integration of important things. Hope this will clear things out.
re: nstcl, it's very nice. I'm suprised to see the surprise of some here who hadn't heard of it yet. I've used it in some instances for stand-alone Tcl scripts.
re: separating OpenACS from AOLserver, I think it's possible, but it'd take resources. I remember a little over a year ago the AOLserver folks wanted to make AOLserver a shared library that could just be emdedded anywhere.
If that happenned, then you could just do whatever with it. Make an Apache module, make a java interface through JNI (?), etc.
re: Jon Sequeira's SQL Server port. I heard you had finished the OpenACS kernel port, which is interesting. Perhaps you would like to write something about what you learned during the data model port (we've talked about starting an OpenACS Systems Journal on the new website).
I read that MS had changed its EULA on the .NET line of products to not allow GPL'd software to be used/developed. I don't know if that applies to the new SQL Server, however.
