It's fascinating to read the Java Module-System Requirements document that Mark Reinhold has drafted to see just why a platform of Java's size and complexity (both code and community wise) is hard to evolve. The requirements document puts the bar quite high for what a Java Module-System needs to be able to do. You also clearly see the influence of systems like Maven and OSGi, and how the experiences with those systems has impacted the requirements.
The end result of all of this is that a Java Module-System can't start off small and simple and grow over time. Instead, the designers are faced with a complex and extended set of requirements right from the start. Slow progress is inevitable. Nevertheless, I'm hoping Java SE 8 will include this Module-System because it would bring a lot of interesting new possibilities to the Java platform!
Friday, May 27, 2011
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