Merging repository discussions

[ao...@bellsouth.net]

Hi Jason,

> Just a note to any Maven developers who are interested in discussing the
> format of the future repository layout for Apache are welcome to join in
> at repository@apache.org. I think we have lots to offer in this area so
> if you have some pop into the discussions.

Very cool you have good timing.  Have you had a chance to look at some of the discussions on the avalon-dev list regarding an API for building repository aware Avalon applications.

It would be nice to merge our discussions and these topics together as one community rather than fragmenting it.  For starters here are links to some of those related threads:

http://nagoya.apache.org/eyebrowse/ReadMsg?listName=dev@avalon.apache.org&msgNo=22035

http://nagoya.apache.org/eyebrowse/ReadMsg?listName=dev@avalon.apache.org&msgNo=22038

I separated it into two parts as two trails to track each peice separately.  I may have gotten too creative here ;-).  

Basically we're shooting for having a means to associate attributes with artifacts within the repository and have a generic API for repository aware and/or repository bootstrapping applications.

The ideas being discussed revolve around the notion of an attribute database to be used to centrally manage project related artifact attributes.  This way the repository becomes a queriable artifact directory as well as a artifact store.

Are these ideas appealing to the Maven community?

What can we do to consolidate our efforts?

Sincerely,
Alex Karasulu



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Re: Merging repository discussions

[Jason van Zyl <jv...@maven.org>]

On Thu, 2003-11-06 at 21:41, aok123@bellsouth.net wrote:
> Hi Jason,
> 
> > Just a note to any Maven developers who are interested in discussing the
> > format of the future repository layout for Apache are welcome to join in
> > at repository@apache.org. I think we have lots to offer in this area so
> > if you have some pop into the discussions.
> 
> Very cool you have good timing.  Have you had a chance to look at some of the discussions on the avalon-dev list regarding an API for building repository aware Avalon applications.

I honestly don't follow the avalon lists anymore.

I have been out of commission for the better part of this year but
Plexus was slated to integrate Maven's repositories directly. Of late
I've been discussing this with the Loom folk and ~10 people who have
access to the Plexus-based version of Maven.

One of the the first tools to be released is something called Wagon
which Michal has been refactoring since the first versions of the
artifact handling mechanisms were checked into the maven-new repository.
It's Michal's baby and I will definitely encourage him to join this
list. Wagon was at first dependent on Plexus but that has now changed to
be more PicoComponent-esque whereby it can be embedded or used in any
Java tool or application. Michal has actually endeavoured to make Wagon
work with Loom as Peter Donald will most likely get to using Wagon in
Loom before I get to using it in Plexus.

> It would be nice to merge our discussions and these topics together as one community rather than fragmenting it.  For starters here are links to some of those related threads:
> 
> http://nagoya.apache.org/eyebrowse/ReadMsg?listName=dev@avalon.apache.org&msgNo=22035
> 
> http://nagoya.apache.org/eyebrowse/ReadMsg?listName=dev@avalon.apache.org&msgNo=22038
> 
> I separated it into two parts as two trails to track each peice separately.  I may have gotten too creative here ;-).  
> 
> Basically we're shooting for having a means to associate attributes with artifacts within the repository and have a generic API for repository aware and/or repository bootstrapping applications.

Right, the Component Software nirvanna :-) If you haven't read Component
Software by Syperski I highly recommend it. There are also a plethora of
papers at citeseer on the topic of confederated repositories of
components so really just artifacts in essence.

> The ideas being discussed revolve around the notion of an attribute database to be used to centrally manage project related artifact attributes.  This way the repository becomes a queriable artifact directory as well as a artifact store.

I think as a decoration many things can be built on the notion of the
repository. There is certainly no reason that hinting types of artifacts
can't be introduced in order to enable the construction of large
metadata repositories for querying.

> Are these ideas appealing to the Maven community?

Most certainly and is definitely in sync with the component form that
Maven will start to take in the next couple of months.

> What can we do to consolidate our efforts?

You can certainly voice your ideas about a repository here and if you're
interested in doing something with Maven then I would definitely sailing
the ideas on the Maven list. None of the Maven developers can keep track
of all the lists and all the things people are doing with Maven.

> Sincerely,
> Alex Karasulu
-- 
jvz.

Jason van Zyl
jason@zenplex.com
http://tambora.zenplex.org

In short, man creates for himself a new religion of a rational
and technical order to justify his work and to be justified in it.
  
  -- Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society