Status File for Apache Commons "Discovery" Component

# The Apache Commons Discovery Component

$Id: STATUS.html 561230 2007-07-31 04:17:09Z rahul $
[Introduction] [Dependencies] [Release Info] [Committers] [Action Items]

### 1. INTRODUCTION

The commons-discovery package provides best-practice algorithms for discovering (locating) implementations of Java interfaces. It includes support for locating/loading properties files, caching-by-classloaders, and attempts using various classloaders.

commons-discovery was heavily influenced by code originally integrated into commons-logging, which was likely to have been based on experience/projects related to the committers of that component.

Goals:

- Portable across JDK 1.1.8 or above
- Represent Best-Practices for locating & loading Classes and Resources in non-trivial environments (non-trivial classloader hierarchies).
- Functional in standalone Java runtime environments
- Functional within a J2EE environment.

Non-goals:

- Replacing J2EE container managed services. This means: middleware solutions (commons-logging, axis, etc) that need to discover interface implementations are encouraged to use this as they must remain independent of J2EE, yet it is expected that these may be packaged as part of a Web Application (WAR/EAR/JAR). Applications/solutions developed for a J2EE managed environment should NOT use commons-discovery.

### 2. DEPENDENCIES

The Discovery component is dependent upon the following external components for compilation:

- Java Development Kit (Version 1.1.8 or later)

The user must ensure that any service that they wish to discover (use) are 'discoverable' by the application environments classloaders (in the classpath, war/ear/jar file, etc) when they use this component.

### 3. RELEASE INFO

Current Release: 0.2, CVS Repository Only

Planned Next Release: RC1

### 4. COMMITTERS

The following individuals are the primary developers and maintainers of this component. Developers who plan to use Discovery in their own projects are encouraged to collaborate on the future development of this component to ensure that it continues to meet a variety of needs.

- Richard A. Sitze
- Costin Manoloche
- Craig R. McClanahan
- Matthew Hawthorne

### 5. ACTION ITEMS

TO DO List: see also TODO file

Action Item | Volunteer
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