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return to the OMG Standards

Note: The following is an excerpt from the actual document. It is provided here as a convenience and is not authoritative. Refer to the original document as the authoritative reference.

This document specifies the OMG Interface Definition Language (IDL). IDL is a descriptive language used to define data types and interfaces in a way that is independent of the programming language or operating system/processor platform.

The IDL specifies only the syntax used to define the data types and interfaces. It is normally used in connection with other specifications that further define how these types/interfaces are utilized in specific contexts and platforms:

• Separate “language mapping” specifications define how the IDL-defined constructs map to specific programming languages, such as, C/C++, Java, C#, etc.
• Separate “serialization” specifications define how data objects and method invocations are serialized into a format suitable for network transmission.
• Separate “middleware” specifications, such as, DDS or CORBA leverage the IDL to define data-types, services, and interfaces. The description of IDL grammar uses a syntax notation that is similar to Extended Backus-Naur Format (EBNF).