CISC474 03/20/06

New in the topics section on the CISC474 web page

• topics/java/deployment/ant/usingAntOnPorsche.html
  • Ant is now on Porsche!
• topics/java/log4j
  • This explains how to get started with log4j, something better than system.out.println for debugging java applications. I have installed and tested log4j on both strauss and porsche.
  • It is better because
    • you can control the level of debugging output at run time, and
    • you can redirect the debugging output to various places (log files, email, a database, the console, etc.)
  • The file log4j.gettingStarted.html explains how to configure your CLASSPATH, and provides sample Java code to get you started. I've only shown you how to get started —you'll have to rely on your "life-long learning" skills to uncover the details.

My head hurts

• No sooner do you learn one software tool that everyone expects you to know, but darn if another one doesn't spring up.
  • Maven is a successor to Ant that does all sorts of wonderful things. I don't know what they are yet, and I probably won't learn this semester. In particular, one of things it does is to "resolve dependencies"... I think that means that if you are missing a JAR file for, say, some piece of Apache Jakarta software, it will go and download the JAR file for you. Sounds great, but it looks complicated. I think I'll stick with Ant for now, but any of you have the time to investigate, set up some "getting started documentation", and do a presentation for the class, I'll consider making it worth credit towards the class. See me to arrange it first.

A07 Roll Call: Who is Ready to present?