IDL Design and Client program

Question

Hello forum, I've got a problem with IDL and interfaces design and with client program.
In my database, I have 3 tables: Calendar, Group, Staff. Each employee (of staff) has a calendar and belongs to several groups. So, I have designed the IDL as -->
module com
     module gmsoft
          module model
               module interfaces
                    struct GroupInfo
                         long id;
                         string description;
                    struct CalendarInfo
                         long id;
                         string description;
                    typedef sequence<GroupInfo> GroupList;
                    struct StaffInfo
                         long id;
                         string first_name;
                         string second_name;
                         string phone1;
                         string phone2;
                         string mobile;
                         string fax;
                         CalendarInfo calendar;
                         GroupList groups;
          module controller
               module interfaces
                    interface IControllerManager
                         boolean addStaff(in com :: gmsoft :: model :: interfaces :: StaffInfo staff);
                         boolean removeStaff(in com :: gmsoft :: model :: interfaces :: StaffInfo staff);
                         boolean updateStaff(in com :: gmsoft :: model :: interfaces :: StaffInfo staff);
                         com :: gmsoft :: model :: interfaces :: StaffInfo getStaff(in long id);
};As you can see, I've designed only one interface, the IControllerManager which will manage all requests in order to get an employee, or save one...
I don't know what the best is, if I have to design a StaffInfo (CalendarInfo and GroupInfo) as a structures(struct) or interfaces (interface).
I've tested both forms: As structures, I found the following problems:
1) On the client side, I can create an object of StaffInfo and pass it as a parameter to addStaff of the remote controller object. Is this object passed by value or by reference is it is created as a structure?
2) Using structures I can't use inherintace. (idlj mapped structures as final classes).
As interfaces:
1) I can't create objects of StaffInfo on the client side, because StaffInfo inherits from StaffInfoOperations, and the implementation (of remote interface) inherits form StaffInfoPOA that inherits from StaffInfoOperations. So, how can I create an object of StaffInfo on the client side, and pass it as a parameter to addStaff, for example? Is it possible?
Thanks for all in advance.
I will appreciate your help a lot.

Answer 1

ygetarts wrote:
Meh. Decoding the packets will present a challenge. And like I said if it turns out the connection is encrypted it won't work.Well, if you have any better ideas, I'm more than willing to listen. Thanks for the other response.Well if I were you I think I would give up on the project as a whole. I am wary of tasks that rely on reverse engineering or things like packet capturing because if for no other reason than you could spend alot of time on something and have it break in two seconds when they change the protocol or move to SSL or whatever.
To me it just seems like not a good plan. But that's me.
As far as you go. From a technical perspective this is about as good as it's going to get for you I think.