...Component lookup ---------------- I'm wondering how component lookup will work. For example, suppose I have a block where I want to use FOP, i.e. the fo2pdf serializer. I'll make my block depend on the fop blok (or the more generic cob:apache.org/cocoon/fo2pdf role). Now how will using the serializer work? I assume I won't have to declare it in the map:components section of my sitemap anymore, since the instances of that serializer will be managed by the component manager of the fop block. So I'll just be able to write somewhere:
<map:serialize type="fo2pdf"/>
Now how will the component manager know which of the depended blocks to ask for this component?...
Do you mean, a) how to select the component if several blocks provide it, or b) how to avoid wasting time by asking all blocks?
For a) I'd say the block manager has to assign priorities to blocks, in case there are multiple choices. For blocks which extend others it is clear, but for "siblings" blocks some rule will have to be set, either configurable priorities or loading order (dangerous if it is not deterministic), and careful logging of choices to be able to trace what's happening (also between core and blocks components).
For b), I think the block manager will need one or several lookup maps to be able to quickly find components by role, name and maybe other criteria.
-Bertrand
