build/runtime dependency tool (Was SVG Status)

[Kelly Campbell <ca...@pcisys.net>]

I'd like to suggest using some kind of Config.xml file to specify the 
dependencies required to build and run a particular tree. Ideally 
this would be integrated with Ant, but it could also be a standalone 
utility. This xml file should be included in the binary dist jar. A 
tool similar to gnu autoconf could then read this xml file to resolve 
dependencies and setup the classpath for building. I view this as 
something similar to the linking and version information stored in 
native shared libraries to allow resolution of dependencies at build 
and runtime.

We have created such a system for our java build environment where I 
work. Unfortunately I can't release this without managment approval. 
It's also rather specialized to our development environment, but it 
would be a good starting place. I'm willing to share what I've 
learned on it, and help with this project if I can.

-Kelly

>
>  > On the issue of bundling Xerces and Xalan, yes, FOP needs them, as it does
>>  the Ant jars, but it also needs (or needed) XT, and Jimi, and... How much do
>>  we bundle? At least in UNIX-land there is an implicit understanding that
>>  things have dependencies and you rely on the user to make an effort to
>>  satisfy them.
>>
>>  Consider the case of a very naive visitor to Apache XML. Maybe they don't
>>  even have a JVM. Do we supply that? :-)
>>
>>  I'm not saying it's out of the question. But I'd rather see a different
>>  approach. Possibly an installer script that the user can download first,
>>  that checks for installed or not installed dependent distros. Ideas?
>
>This is an Apache-wide problem and Sam Ruby is trying to come up with a
>solution for this that would allow _all_ projects to automate such
>building and dependencies.
>
>I'm sure he'll have more to say himself...
-- 
Kelly A. Campbell                       Software Engineer
<ca...@merlotxml.org>                    ChannelPoint, Inc.
<ke...@channelpoint.com>       Colorado Springs, Co.

Re: build/runtime dependency tool (Was SVG Status)

[Stefano Mazzocchi <st...@apache.org>]

Kelly, 

I'm sure Sam will be interested in hearing comments on this since he's
the man behind the unification effort.

Kelly Campbell wrote:
> 
> I'd like to suggest using some kind of Config.xml file to specify the
> dependencies required to build and run a particular tree. Ideally
> this would be integrated with Ant, but it could also be a standalone
> utility. This xml file should be included in the binary dist jar. A
> tool similar to gnu autoconf could then read this xml file to resolve
> dependencies and setup the classpath for building. I view this as
> something similar to the linking and version information stored in
> native shared libraries to allow resolution of dependencies at build
> and runtime.
> 
> We have created such a system for our java build environment where I
> work. Unfortunately I can't release this without managment approval.
> It's also rather specialized to our development environment, but it
> would be a good starting place. I'm willing to share what I've
> learned on it, and help with this project if I can.
> 
> -Kelly
> 
> >
> >  > On the issue of bundling Xerces and Xalan, yes, FOP needs them, as it does
> >>  the Ant jars, but it also needs (or needed) XT, and Jimi, and... How much do
> >>  we bundle? At least in UNIX-land there is an implicit understanding that
> >>  things have dependencies and you rely on the user to make an effort to
> >>  satisfy them.
> >>
> >>  Consider the case of a very naive visitor to Apache XML. Maybe they don't
> >>  even have a JVM. Do we supply that? :-)
> >>
> >>  I'm not saying it's out of the question. But I'd rather see a different
> >>  approach. Possibly an installer script that the user can download first,
> >>  that checks for installed or not installed dependent distros. Ideas?
> >
> >This is an Apache-wide problem and Sam Ruby is trying to come up with a
> >solution for this that would allow _all_ projects to automate such
> >building and dependencies.
> >
> >I'm sure he'll have more to say himself...
> --
> Kelly A. Campbell                       Software Engineer
> <ca...@merlotxml.org>                    ChannelPoint, Inc.
> <ke...@channelpoint.com>       Colorado Springs, Co.


-- 
Stefano Mazzocchi      One must still have chaos in oneself to be
                          able to give birth to a dancing star.
<st...@apache.org>                             Friedrich Nietzsche
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