ORCA-An Open Source Framework

ORCA is an open-source framework which helps in developing the building blocks. It is a kind of software framework for developing Robotic systems.

Why ORCA is considered as a Good Framework?

Actually ORCA has all the features which fulfill the criteria of a good framework. It is:

Open-source, modular, general, flexible.
Should give high performance.
Distributed with a repository of tested and documented modules.
Another essential thing is that the framework should be extensible as well.

ORCA is not an architecture. It is only an implementation framework. Individual components are free to provide subsets of valid interfaces. While studying ORCA, we must know about communication processes and interfacing.

If ORCA has to work on different applications

Let's assume that two systems have different operating systems. In that case we need to do cross-platform operations; it would be made possible by middleware. Let's get to know what middleware exactly is.

Middleware is a kind of software which provides interfacing between two systems. It helps in establishing communication so that cross-platform operations are possible. It is used in the middle of the application software.

ORCA layer Structure

Middleware consists of Library functions. It also enables the application-simulations in a High Level Architecture. We can use any of them: C++, Java, Python etc. for ORCA interfaces.

ICE middleware is used nowadays for interfacing between two systems of different applications. ICE is a group of components that include object oriented remote object invocation, replication etc.
It is a kind of middleware which supports C++, Java and .Net languages.

ORCA Library

ORCA provides a library also. It is named libOrcaIce. Use of this library is optional. We can also integrate component code into stand-alone applications transparently.

Resources

Calling Procedural COBOL from VB.Net
Social networking sites in ASP.NET-Open Source Project