[jsr294-modularity-eg] Pain

[Peter Kriens]

I've tried hard to distinguish between "namespace" modules and  
"deployment" modules. As you can see this gives "module" two meanings.  
To distinguish between these two cases, I decided to use container for  
a deployment module, if there are better names, let me know.

Namespace modules are basically like packages, but making module  
membership hierarchical. This is a very natural model that I think is  
instantly recognized by all Java programmers. Containers are having  
dependencies and membership is based on containment in a physical  
artifact, allowing the membership (and visibility) to be defined in a  
packaging step.

Unfortunately, 294 never had a crisp definition of a module so it is  
hard to describe a delta ...

Hope this helps. Kind regards,

	Peter Kriens


On 31 jul 2009, at 17:58, Stephen J. McConnell wrote:

> On Fri, 2009-07-31 at 15:28 +0200, Peter Kriens wrote:
>> I tried very carefully not to define how class loaders going to
>> operate in runtime. However, modularity in Java introduces attributes
>> that are associated with the aggregate of class files/compilation
>> units. This aggregate I called the container and I do think it needs
>> to defined as a concept in the JLS and not shoehorned in a  
>> compilation
>> unit/ClassFile.
>
> Peter:
>
> OK - I'm not getting the problem.
>
> I would agree that 'modularity in Java introduces attributes that are
> associated with the aggregate of class files/compilation units'.  I
> would have referred to that as a module.  You want to referer to  
> that as
> a container.  Can you explain relative to the existing 294 notion of
> module exactly what changes you feel would be beneficial and what the
> supporting arguments are that differentiate 'module' from your  
> notion of
> 'container'.
>
> Cheers, Steve.
>
> p.s.
>
> I have a particular interest in 'containers' and how an emerging
> 'module' solution play together.
>
> /SJM
>
>
> -- 
> Stephen J. McConnell
> mailto:mcconnell at dpml.net
> http://www.dpml.net
> mobile: 04 5800 3980
>
>