[jira] [Created] (XERCESJ-1790) Old xercesImpl jar should not be needed in the repo

Samael Bate created XERCESJ-1790:
------------------------------------

             Summary: Old xercesImpl jar should not be needed in the repo
                 Key: XERCESJ-1790
                 URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/XERCESJ-1790
             Project: Xerces2-J
          Issue Type: Task
            Reporter: Samael Bate


As per [https://github.com/apache/xerces-j/pull/53] (reverted) and related discussion on [https://github.com/apache/xerces-j/pull/56], there is an {{xercesImpl.jar}} in the tools directory of the repo.

Currently it's added to classpath in the build.bat and build.sh files which call through to Ant ([https://github.com/apache/xerces-j/pull/56] would remove it).

The jar is not needed to actually build the project and simply removing it (as per [https://github.com/apache/xerces-j/pull/53]) does not prevent building all targets in the project, using:

{{ant -noinput -buildfile build.xml all}}

(I should have removed it from the build script when making the #53 PR)

 

It's worth pointing out that the entire content of the tools dir does get included in the zip and tar files that get created. So perhaps the thinking was that {{xercesImpl.jar}} should be included in those. However, even if that's something that should be done, it's not ideal to package up an old release when the build is already going to create a new {{xercesImpl.jar}}

 

If the zip and tar distributions need a {{xercesImpl.jar}} then it makes sense to use the one that's built from the sources rather than just having an old release in the git repo.

Potentially this ticket could be to discuss using packaging the compiled jar into the zip and tar files rather than the current setup, or (probably better) just get rid of it all together. The purpose of tools should really be things required to build the project. An old xerces release should not be need to build the current source.

Perhaps worth establishing if packaging  zip/tar formats is even needed in 2025. Just build jars for the lib and related javadoc & sources and publish to maven central. 



--
This message was sent by Atlassian Jira
(v8.20.10#820010)