[jdom-interest] JDOM with generics

[Tatu Saloranta]

--- Michael Kay <mike at saxonica.com> wrote:

> > And while this was done, it might be worth
> considering the 
> > many-times-rejected common base class for all
> nodes
> 
> This is always the problem with stable software:
> once you open the box, it's
> hard to resist the temptation to make design changes
> while it's up for

Yes. It is a trade-off: whether to stagnate (and
possibly become obsolete), or to change, and risk
alienating users.

> grabs. And then you end up with
> Yet-Another-Object-Model to sit alongside
> DOM, JDOM, DOM4J, XOM, and the other new kids on the
> block.

In the end, it's of course one more thing to consider:
not just application would need to change, but so
would other libraries/frameworks that support JDOM.

Note though that not all proposed changes are invasive
in this regard: adding common base class in itself
would not matter, if API was not changed. And if it
was just regarding retro-fitting containers with
generics, while it would require JDK 1.5, it would be
(I think), byte code compatible.

-+ Tatu +-


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