POLL - Need for shared code

["David W. Van Couvering" <Da...@Sun.COM>]

Hi, all.  It is my belief that there is a current need for shared code, 
not just future needs.  I'd like to test this belief.

Can those of you who are working on functionality that could use shared 
code please send an item to the list describing what it is you want to 
do and why you have a need for a shared code infrastructure?

Also, if you have a general opinion that it is important (or not) to 
have shared code sooner than later, your views on this would be much 
appreciated.

Thanks,

David

Re: POLL - Need for shared code

[Andrew McIntyre <mc...@gmail.com>]

On Oct 31, 2005, at 12:50 AM, Dyre.Tjeldvoll@Sun.COM wrote:

> Personally I think that sharing common code is an absolute
> requirement, and I cannot understand why anyone would question it.

<applies hat of devil's advocate>

New functionality (in this case, code sharing) should be questioned  
if it causes a regression in the behaviour of Derby.

> If sharing code causes problems, then those problems have to be
> addressed somehow.

Better now than later. Better to be thorough than to be incomplete.  
Not necessarily in that order. :-)

> I cannot see any linking/versioning problem that would
> justify maintaining multiple copies of the same code, or to maintain
> your own version of external libraries.

That is, unless real world scenarios of Derby use, that currently  
work, cease to function because of changes introduced by code sharing.

Working towards a goal of sharing common code, as often as possible,  
is a *very* good idea. But, I think it's an idea that should be  
applied sparingly, not exceedingly, across the current code base.  
Personally, I feel that it would be better to apply the ideals of  
code sharing to some new functionality (e.g. full text indexing) than  
to try and retrofit the current code to share some particular bit of  
existing functionality.

It's not that I believe that the opportunities for sharing code in  
the current code base cannot be addressed and understood. I just  
think that it may be more productive, at this time, to focus the  
efforts of code sharing on some new functionality for which there is  
no history against which the principles of code sharing need to fight.

That said, itches are there to be scratched. Clearly, David has found  
an itch that is definitely in need of scratching. I encourage him to  
scratch it however he sees fit. :-)

andrew

Re: POLL - Need for shared code

[Dy...@Sun.COM]

"David W. Van Couvering" <Da...@Sun.COM> writes:

> Hi, all.  It is my belief that there is a current need for shared code, 
> not just future needs.  I'd like to test this belief.
>
> Can those of you who are working on functionality that could use shared 
> code please send an item to the list describing what it is you want to 
> do and why you have a need for a shared code infrastructure?
>
> Also, if you have a general opinion that it is important (or not) to 
> have shared code sooner than later, your views on this would be much 
> appreciated.

Personally I think that sharing common code is an absolute
requirement, and I cannot understand why anyone would question it. If
sharing code causes problems, then those problems have to be
addressed somehow. I cannot see any linking/versioning problem that would
justify maintaining multiple copies of the same code, or to maintain
your own version of external libraries.

I'll admit that I don't understand all the issues around multiple
jars, classpaths, multiple apps in a vm and class-loaders, but I do
know from past experience that maintaining online upgradability takes
a lot of developer effort, while it provides only marginal benefit to
users in most cases. 

-- 
dt

Re: POLL - Need for shared code

[Francois Orsini <fr...@gmail.com>]

I would like to share some Security pieces of logic (classes) which are used
by the client and engine during DRDA user network authentication; hence
introducing a new common security package.

--francois

On 10/28/05, David W. Van Couvering <Da...@sun.com> wrote:
>
> Hi, all. It is my belief that there is a current need for shared code,
> not just future needs. I'd like to test this belief.
>
> Can those of you who are working on functionality that could use shared
> code please send an item to the list describing what it is you want to
> do and why you have a need for a shared code infrastructure?
>
> Also, if you have a general opinion that it is important (or not) to
> have shared code sooner than later, your views on this would be much
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> David
>
>
>

Re: POLL - Need for shared code

[Rick Hillegas <Ri...@Sun.COM>]

Hi David,

I would like to add some new datatypes and I would like to share that 
datatype handling code between the network client and server. I think 
that sharing type codes and interchange formats is less brittle than 
cloning this code.

Regards,
-Rick

David W. Van Couvering wrote:

> Hi, all.  It is my belief that there is a current need for shared 
> code, not just future needs.  I'd like to test this belief.
>
> Can those of you who are working on functionality that could use 
> shared code please send an item to the list describing what it is you 
> want to do and why you have a need for a shared code infrastructure?
>
> Also, if you have a general opinion that it is important (or not) to 
> have shared code sooner than later, your views on this would be much 
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> David