Module-file format (DRAFT)

[Roger Riggs]

Hi Mark,

It is a known problem with existing formats that breaking a download 
into multiple transfers
introduces additional latency while the client has to make multiple 
requests to the server
especially when the "first" section has to be downloaded and examined 
before additional
segments can fetched.  An encoding that enables streaming would be useful.

If the signatures were put into sections also they should precede the 
contents
so that the certificates can be checked for validity before reading 
through the data.

Roger

>> Is the intention that a module can be launched/started before it is fully
>> transferred/"installed"
>>      
> No.  An application that needs to (appear to) start quickly should be
> structured as a small launch module with optional dependences upon its
> other modules.  (This is just as in JNLP today.)  We'll eventually come
> up with a way to label such dependences so that they'll be downloaded
> and installed right after the launch module.
>
> - Mark
>