[RFC] Would there be a need for a java-wrappers package?

[Nicholas Wourms]

pechtcha wrote:

> Hi, all,
> 
> I would like to hear opinions on how useful a java-wrappers package would
> be.  The package will contain a few shell scripts that allow users to
> invoke the regular Java SDK tools (java, javac, javadoc) from Cygwin,
> making them look like their Unix counterparts (i.e., POSIX filenames).
> The scripts would be updated versions of those posted in
> <http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2003-01/msg00174.html>.
> 
> There are a few reasons why I have misgivings about this.  First off, some
> tools (notably Ant and Tomcat) recognize Cygwin and do something specific
> to Cygwin anyway, which will probably (most likely) get screwed up if the
> java they find looks like a Unix version (this did happen to me with Ant
> and Cygwin-native jikes).  Secondly, the tools will certainly not be
> foolproof (although I'll try my best to make them as robust and autonomous
> as possible).  Thirdly, java versioning may become a problem.
> 

You also might considier the problem which might arise if someone 
decided to package Kaffe.  Perhaps it is time to investigate that system 
that Debian uses for managing packages with conflicting names.  I think 
it is called update-alternatives or something like that...  Anyhow, the 
scripts are still a nice idea :-).  You might want to speak with Randall 
Schultz, he also has some really nice scripts I've been using for a year 
or two.

Cheers,
Nicholas