Clarify message-related FFI #440
Description
Summary
We need to clarify how the Foreign Function Interface (FFI) should be used in relation to message interactions. Currently, there is confusion regarding the purpose and distinction between the following elements:
PactHandlevsMessagePactHandleInteractionHandlevsMessageHandle
Motivation
Recent contributions to Pact Python have added support for message pacts using the FFI library, which has been greatly appreciated. However, this has also highlighted some ambiguities in how best to use the FFI for message interactions. Clarifying these distinctions will improve usability and reduce confusion for developers.
Proposed Solution
The goal is to deprecate MessagePactHandle in favor of PactHandle, and MessageHandle in favor of InteractionHandle. Where overlapping functionality exists, a simple deprecation notice will be sufficient initially.
In cases where functionality exclusive to MessagePactHandle or MessageHandle needs to be incorporated into their respective replacements (PactHandle or InteractionHandle), those features should be added before deprecation.
Tasks
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to identify
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Document how FFI should be used when verifying message pacts
Once the FFI is disambiguated, there is still a need for a clear description as to how messages should be verified by the upstream languages. This is needed because the transport mechanism (e.g., queuing system) is abstracted away and the upstream language needs to handle that.