Re: [sca-j] SCA-J package names

[Simon Nash <NASH@uk.ibm.com>]

Mary,
The SCA-J TC has discussed this decision,
which comes in two parts.

1. The need for the SCA Java APIs to
change the package name prefix from "org.osoa " to a different
package name prefix that is controlled by OASIS.
2. The proposed package name prefix
of "org.oasis_open" to be used by the SCA-J TC.

On the first part, the SCA-J TC recognizes
the validty of the arguments put forward for changing the prefix.  There
could be other possible resolutions to the concerns expressed for using
org.osoa, for example if the osoa.org consortium were willing to transfer
future usage of the org.osoa package prefix to OASIS.  However, the
TC is willing to accept a change at this stage as long as the new prefix
is acceptable.

This brings us on the the second part.
 The SCA-J TC is not willing to accept the proposed package name prefix
of "org.oasis_open", for the following reasons:

1. The proposed package name prefix
does not conform to normal Java naming conventions.  Specifically,
the use of an underscore in package names is highly unusual and unconventional.


2. The proposed package name prefix
is hard to say and hard to type.  When talking about these APIs, it
would be necessary to say "org dot oasis underscore open dot sca dot
ComponentContext".  When typing these APIs, the shifted character
underscore would need to be entered.  Both of these are burdensome
on SCA Java developers.

3. Precedents (as far as they exist)
suggest that this package name prefix would not be liked by Java developers.
 The only other cases that I am aware of are some CORBA package names
in the JDK, and these have been the subject of user complaint.  (I
was involved in Java/CORBA standards when these package names were first
introduced, so I am personally familiar with this issue.)

The SCA-J TC understands that the "org.oasis_open"
package name is the result of applying the convention suggested in the
Java Language Specification (Third Edition, section 7.7) to the "oasis-open.org"
domain name.  In order to produce an acceptable package name, the
Java package prefix would need to be derived from some other domain name.
 The TC has discussed some options and considers the org.oasisj prefix
to be suitable and acceptable.  This would require that OASIS acquires
the corresponding domain name, which is currently available.

You have suggested that the only way
to change this decision is by a formal appeal.  The SCA-J TC is willing
to initiate a formal appeal if necessary.  However, before issuing
this appeal to the Chairman of the OASIS Board of Directors, the TC would
like to know whether OASIS administration is willing to accept its proposed
resolution as outlined above.

    Simon

Simon C. Nash, IBM Distinguished Engineer
Member of the IBM Academy of Technology
Tel. +44-1962-815156  Fax +44-1962-818999

"Mary McRae" <mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org>
Sent by: Mary McRae <marypmcrae@gmail.com>

04/04/2008 04:36

Please respond to
<mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org>

To	Simon Nash/UK/IBM@IBMGB
cc	"'Michael Rowley'" <mrowley@bea.com>, <sca-j@lists.oasis-open.org>
Subject	[sca-j] SCA-J package names

Hi Simon, 

After further study of this issue, OASIS TC Administration has reached
the
following decision:

While the specifications under development at the OASIS SCA-J Technical
Committee are based on the original specifications from the OSOA collaboration,
it is our understanding that the final specifications to be delivered by
the
SCA-J TC are not required (or even likely) to be backwards compatible with
the
original OSOA draft specifications.  Maintaining the "org.osoa"
prefix may not
be needed or even desirable given such incompatibilities.

The argument that there exists a JCP precedence for adopting the original
package name when transporting it from one organization to another, while
true
in general, does not take into account that it applies to finished, externally
defined APIs marked for inclusion in the JDK. As far as we've been able
to
determine, there's never been a case of a JSR that took some API from outside
the JCP as input and modified it while keeping the same package name.

Moreover, the use of the "org.osoa" string in an OASIS technical
specification
seems inappropriate as OASIS does not currently own the "osoa.org"
domain.
Therefore, OASIS recommends the use of the
"org.oasis_open" prefix in order to:
 
 - clearly differentiate the OASIS specification from the (possibly
incompatible) OSOA drafts on which this work is based,

- clearly differentiate OASIS work from other work that may be developed
by OSOA
itself,

- use a prefix referring to an OASIS-owned domain name, and

- address the Java name syntax issue you identified with the "oasis-open"
name.

OASIS will take action to ensure that future similar work will also use
this
prefix, to ensure consistency among OASIS specifications.

As with any other TC Administration decision, this can be appealed, as
spelled
out in the TC Process Document.

Regards,

Mary



-----------------------------------
Mary P McRae
Manager of TC Administration, OASIS
email: mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org  
web: www.oasis-open.org
phone: 603.232.9090






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