[ecf-dev] Smack lib update for XMPP provider ?

[Björn Gustavs <bjoern.gustavs@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,


in the current analysis phase of how ECF could be used for Saros 
(collaboration plugin for Eclipse (http://www.saros-project.org)),
we are looking at the Smack API used in the XMPP provider.

Gladly you are using the latest release - unfortunately Smack isnt 
maintained regularly.
Due to several bugs and incomplete extension implementations, Smack was 
improved as task of a diploma theses last year.

The improvements (besides bugfixes) are focused in
- Socks5 Bytestream Protocol (more XEP conform, support of dynamic sized 
streams, more configurations for the proxy, ...)
- In Band Bytestream Implementation (made fully compatible to XEP 0047, 
bidirectional data exchange, ...)

(more detailed information is available in German in the thesis paper
http://www.inf.fu-berlin.de/inst/ag-se/theses/Staib10-DPPX.pdf
)


The thing is now, if using ECF, we cant loose these improvements, 
because even using ECF we would - for a number of things - use the 
exposed XMPPConnection for Smack calls.

I considered creating a separate XMPP provider using this updated Smack 
lib - but that is no optimum.

Another way and the question of this email is:
Would the ECF project consider to absorb these changes - the customized 
Smack lib - in a way? And if so, in which way?



Thanks for "listening",
Björn