Re: [FreeMarker-user] Attila, do you want me to connect you with Google for GAE support?

I think I already expressed in an earlier e-mail that I think this would be a viable direction (except I was thinking 2.5 instead of 3.0) - eliminate as much internal reflection as we can, assuming most of the stuff we depend on statically exists,  bump supported external libraries versions. 

Specifically
1. take the following for granted:
  java.util.concurrent.* exists
  java.util.regex.Pattern exists
  java.lang.Enum exists
  org.w3c.dom.* exists
2. ditch support for all older JSP versions, thus remove need for reflectively use non-public constructor (one of things we trip over on GAE)
3. require modern JDOM and recent Rhino (and possibly, recent Jython - not sure if there were any non-BWC developments there)
4. ditch all of our custom logging framework in favor of SLF4J
5. ditch that javax.swing dependency for good

As for disappointment - last summer, I did spend one afternoon on backporting null handling from 2.4 to 2.3, just to see how much of it could be done in a backwards-compatible fashion. I can do it in a pinch.

The other option is to just plow ahead with 2.4. This would require some commitment from Jonathan - my problem with 2.4 is that I'm fairly confident in my knowledge of 2.3 codebase, but not so much in 2.4 - I did some forays into it specifically to get acquainted, but still not 100%. If JR would return to the project and hammer on the 2.4 code until Daniel is happy with it, that'd be an alternative.

If we want to move fast, though (and I think we do), I might start on the 2.3 modernization route. 

Attila.

On 2010.02.03., at 17:18, Daniel Dekany wrote:

> I think what's going to happen is that we rename 2.4 to 3.0, and then
> create a 2.4 that breaks backward compatibility a little bit with 2.3
> due to the changes necessarily for GAE compatibility. (It's our policy
> that if the 2nd version number is not changed, then the release must
> be backward compatible.) However, since then 2.4 is a non-BC release
> anyway, it would be a good opportunity to fix some other things too
> that are *minor* backward compatibility violations as well, namely:
> 
> - Adapt to the latest JDOM API
> 
> - Maybe turn on syntax auto-detection (<> VS []) by default
> 
> So, this way 2.4 will be quite a disappointment for most users, since
> they expect lot of new features form such a version change, but it's
> an emergency, so... I would just ensure that any planned new features
> can be added later without breaking backward compatibility again. (As
> part of this, I want to reserve some otherwise extreme patterns in
> format strings, so advanced formatting can be added later in the 2.4.x
> line. Things like that.)
> 
> OK, the important question is: when. Attila may will say that he
> initiated some negotiations with Google, so he would rather wait... I
> don't know, Attila, what do you think? I for sure didn't started
> working on this yet... But I allocate some time for it, if the plan
> will be what I said above... Any opinions?
> 
> 
> Monday, February 1, 2010, 6:34:59 AM, [email protected] wrote:
> 
>> Hey, Can any one plz tell me, is there any progress on removing
>> Swing dependency and making FM work on GAE, yet !!
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Sudhir Nimavat
>> Senior software engineer. 
>> Quick start global PVT LTD.
>> Baroda - 390007 
>> Gujarat, India
>> 
>> I do know everything, just not all at once. It's a virtual memory problem.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> From: Attila Szegedi <[email protected]>
>> To: FreeMarker-user <[email protected]>
>> Sent: Mon, 1 February, 2010 3:31:11 AM
>> Subject: Re: [FreeMarker-user] Attila, do you want me to connect you with Google for GAE support?
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> yes, I'd like that.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>>  Attila.
>> 
>> On 2010.01.31., at 20:56, Jeremy Chone wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi Attila, 
>>> 
>>> Sorry, this one slipped under the crack. Do you want me to connect you with someone at Google for the GAE support. 
>>> 
>>> Jeremy,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Jeremy Chone
>>> +1 415 699 9912

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