Re: CVS and Jar files: Should you import Jar into the Repository? Why or why not

[Noel Yap]

--- "Greg A. Woods" <address@hidden> wrote:
> Since Jar files are products they really should be
> installed as
> appropriate onto the development and test machines,
> just as I would
> install compiled C libraries (and their associated
> header files) on my
> development machines (or the compiled shared
> libraries on the test and
> user machines).  I don't know if it's possible with
> Jar files, but I
> always try to arrange things so that I can have many
> versions of my
> libraries all installed at the same time on the same
> machines and then I
> use mechanisms in my build processes to ensure the
> correct revisions are
> used when building a given release of my own
> products.

Although jar files are typically derived objects (ie
they're built from other things), they differ from .a
archive files in that they're used both during build
and at runtime.  In a sense, they have purposes
similar to both .a and .h files.  It's left as an
exercise how to synch build and runtime versions.

However, even though jar files are typically built,
they may come from third party sources (in which you
have no access).  In this case, I see no problem in
storing them in a CVS repr (aside from the usual
"binary file" arguments).

> I.e. Jar files, C libraries, shared libraries (DLLs
> or whatever) are
> just more components.  It is irrelevant whether you
> have source for them
> or whether you build them yourself.  The are
> installed on the machines
> and used in conjunction with your own software. 
> Since Jar files are
> used dynamically at run time you should use run-time
> configuration
> parameters to ensure the correct versions are found
> and used by a given
> version of your software.

Like I said before, they are also used at build time.

> Why would you try to use one tool which has a _very_
> specific capability
> to do something that it is explicitly not designed
> to do?  Why would you
> insist on trying to hammer in machine screws with
> the handle of a
> soldering iron?

I think your analogy is over-exagerated.  A more
appropriate one would be using a screw driver to pry
out a nail -- it's not the best tool, but it works
well enough when used carefully.

Noel

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