[jboss-dev] Be extra careful when changing/using base libraries.

[Dimitris Andreadis]

I think the type of testsuite/tck failures we have been experiencing the last couple of 
weeks are indicative of how important those base libraries are (VFS/MC/Deployers/etc.)

Although APIs may look constant it is inevitable that users of this code will depend on 
internal implementation details or specific dynamic behavior (e.g. threading invariances).

So the lessons to be learned here are:

- Be extra careful and conservative when changing base libraries. Local testing will almost 
certainly not reveal all the possible runtime outcomes and uses of the base library.

- Good integration testing should always take place higher up the chain, either through some 
temporary Beta/CR release, or a versioned snapshot. E.g when changing jboss-common, the 
change might work for you but not for the other 15 projects using it.

- Do your homework when using APIs from other projects. Ask for best practices in the 
forums, the authors are there to help.

Looking at the stream of commit messages in the base project often gives me the shivers. It 
could be I'm just getting older but at the same time you need to remember that AS5 is 
already GA and should be treated as such.

/Dimitris