[Zope-dev] Re: [ZODB-Dev] RFC: Multi-Databases

[Toby Dickenson]

(reply-to set to zodb-dev)

> In the long term, this will allow is to *finally* support cross database
> references.

Your proposal describes an unfamiliar kind of reference. In unix filesystem 
terms, it mixes characteristics of hard links and symbolic links.

Like hard links it directly references the inode/oid. The reference doent need 
to have a filename/object reference from the root of the referenced 
filesystem/database.

Like symbolic links it does not prevent garbage collection from freeing the 
inode/oid. So there does need to BE a filename/object reference from the root 
of the referenced filesystem/database.... it needs to exist, but the 
reference doesnt need to have it.

(by 'object reference' above I mean a chain of normal object references like 
we have in normal python and zodb today)


Right now I cant think of a use case for this new type of reference (either in 
a filesystem or zodb database).  Can you give some examples?

-- 
Toby Dickenson