Re: [servlet-dev] Transitioning to Jakarta EE namespace

[Mark Thomas <markt@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thinking about this from a purely Servlet perspective.

The current API feels mostly done. There are some bits and pieces we
could clean up but most of the things on my TODO list for the existing
API are around clarifying behaviour for various edge cases - i.e.
changing the JavaDoc, not changing the code. Even for Cookies - an area
where I think there is a lot to do - a lot can be done with the existing
API.

Potential new features (reactive, QUIC, HTTP/3, ???) would almost
certainly be put into new packages. I think it makes little difference
if those packages are under jakarta.servlet.* rather than javax.servlet.*

Existing Java EE 8 implementations are going to be supported for as long
as it remains viable to do so. In terms of open source implementations,
I can see that support lasting for at least the next decade.

My conclusion from these musing is that significant new features should
go into new jakarta.servlet.* packages. The open question is what do we
do with the existing API?

Leave it where it is:
Pros:
- Upgrade from Java EE 8 to Jakarta EE 9 is seamless.
Cons:
- We have to live with the API as is.
- Our hands are tied in terms of making any changes to javax.servlet.*
  classes. We could probably handle this by creating new
  jakarta.servlet.* classes that extended javax.servlet.* where
  necessary but that could get messy.

Move it to jakarta.servlet.*
Pros:
- We can clean up the API.
- We have more flexibility to change the existing API.
Cons:
- Upgrade from Java EE 8 to Jakarta EE 9 will require code changes.
  Much of it will be copy/paste but there may be some more subtle
  changes required depending on how much we clean up.


I'm currently undecided on the best way forward. The opportunity to
clean up the API is tempting but I'm worried about the cost of migration
to users. I would be good to hear from some users on this.

Mark



On 07/05/2019 10:52, Greg Wilkins wrote:
> 
> All,
> 
> I draw your attention to the discussions regarding the potential need to
> transition for javax.* namespace to the jakarta.* namespace:
> 
>  [jakartaee-platform-dev] Transitioning Jakarta EE to the jakarta namespace
>  - https://www.eclipse.org/lists/jakartaee-platform-dev/msg00029.html
> 
> This is an incredibly significant matter that may well shape our
> development efforts for years to come.  It is extremely important that
> we come up with a reasonable approach to overcome this difficult issue -
> both from a servlet point of view and as the wider jakarta EE community.
> 
> The EE ramification will be discussed
> in  https://accounts.eclipse.org/mailing-list/jakartaee-platform-dev and
> all are welcome to participate.  However, I believe that in parallel
> (and to correctly inform the EE discussion),  we need to discuss the
> servlet specific ramifications, opportunities, evolution, revolutions,
> etc.    I think this is the correct forum to do this and I invite input
> and discussion here.    
> 
> I expect that there will be many relevant discussions external to this
> forum and the platform-dev one: blogs, articles, vendor lists, other
> forums etc.   I plan to write my own thoughts down in a blog soon.   
>  Thus can we make an effort to link such external discussion here.
> 
> Ultimately I expect that an email forum thread will be insufficient to
> capture all the issues, concerns, solutions, alternatives, etc. and that
> we may eventually need to use an issue tracker or similar, but let's
> start with a thread to at least get the ideas circulating.
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Greg Wilkins <gregw@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:gregw@xxxxxxxxxxx>> CTO
> http://webtide.com
> 
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