Using JNI for Perl

Question

Hi all,
I am new to the native methods (JNI) thing. The examples I am finding are mostly for C/C++ although they say native calls work with every language. I have the following questions:
- Are there any tutorials, sample codes that call modules written in Perl?
- Can I easily avoid touching the Perl code, since it is an already existing API, and I just want to wrap it with Java.
- Is it very slow? And is it a big learning curve (i.e. native calls) if I already know java and use it regularly? Note that I do not know Perl, and I want to avoid changing any of its code.
Thanks,

Answer 1

Not quite sure what you are asking.
There is only one external interface in Java. That involves C method calls in a shared library.
- Are there any tutorials, sample codes that call modules written in Perl?Well there are certainly many written in perl. Not that that has anything to do with Java. You can call Perl in C/C++. The documentation is sparse (although better than it use to be.) For information on that you need to try other lists/forums.
- Can I easily avoid touching the Perl code, since it is an already existing API, and I just want to wrap it with Java.Yes and no. Since Java doesn't talk to perl you don't have to modify anything in perl. And if you had a C interface you wouldn't have to modify the perl either.
- Is it very slow? And is it a big learning curve (i.e. native calls) if I already know java and use it regularly?Do you use C regularly? If not then it is going to take you a while.
Slow is relative. Both languages are interpreted so the start up costs are rather heavy.
Are you sure you can't just call a perl application, using java Runtime.exec()?
There was a JPerl initiative which would have done everything (Java to Perl and Perl to Java.) Last time I looked it really wasn't going anywhere.