Namespace and Package Frequently Asked Questions (Draft)
updated 21 Dec 1997
0. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Namespaces
- What are namespaces?
- Why are namespaces important?
- Why does JOS need divisions?
- What namespaces does JOS have?
- What about optional vs. required?
2. Packages
- What are packages?
- Why are packages important?
- What base package names does JOS use?
- How does a single package name relate to JOS namespaces?
- How do two package names relate to JOS namespaces?
3. References
1. Namespaces
What are namespaces?
Why are namespaces important?
- When a namespace is invested with meaning, it provides a valuable division between itself, and other meaningful namespaces
Why does JOS need divisions?
- In the great namespace and package debate, two areas of division became imporant:
- platform specific vs. portable code in JOS
- optional vs. required portions of JOS
What namespaces does JOS use?
- It was decided that JOS would use two seperate namespaces, to seperate platform specific vs. portable code. More specifically:
- Classes in one are platform-specific, and the other is portable across all platforms.
What about optional vs. required?
- optional vs. required is a much more artificial division. Also, classes divided as such are subject to much flux. It was decided that a Manifest (make file) would be better to seperate optional from required portions of JOS.
- it's also worth noting that the platform specific vs. portable can also be indicated using a Manifest file. Reasons for not doing this include clarity and industry convention.
2. Packages
What are packages?
- Packages are Java's method of providing a hierarchical organization of the namespace that can scale to multiple sources of namespace entries.
Why are packages important?
- packages help divide up code into relevant, common groups. Among other things, this helps with distributing the code, and discovering what portions of code are dependent on one another
What base package names does JOS use?
- Check Packages for the most recent list of Proposed and Reserved Package names
- The base package names of JOS are currently under debate. The two camps are:
- a single base package, org.jos.*
- the two packages, jos.* and org.jos.*
How does a single package name relate to JOS namespaces?
How do two package names relate to JOS namespaces?
3. References
See the following messages in the java-os-project archive:
http://www.spin.de/osproject/archive/new/0701.html
http://www.spin.de/osproject/archive/new/0702.html
http://www.spin.de/osproject/archive/new/0703.html
http://www.spin.de/osproject/archive/new/0706.html
http://www.spin.de/osproject/archive/new/0709.html
http://www.spin.de/osproject/archive/new/0710.html
http://www.spin.de/osproject/archive/new/0713.html
How to Edit This Page
updated 22 Dec 1997
This will hopefully be the place to collaborate on the static version of the Namespace and Package Frequently Asked Questions in between snapshots.
Please don't make arbitrary changes. Most of the information contained in this document is the result of long and time consuming debates on the Mailing Lists. The idea of this page is to consolidate the information we agree upon, or sometimes the information we agree to disagree upon.
An arbitrary change could be defined as any change that is simply your opinion or viewpoint, and hasn't been discussed in detail on the JOS mailing lists. Otherwise, feel free to consolidate information from our discussions here.
Keep in mind, the purpose of a FAQ is to answer questions, not ask them. If you have a question, try asking them on the mailing list first.
If you have major issues with the content of this document, feel free to join the discussion on the mailing lists.
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Please read "How to Edit This Page"
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