java.net Weblogs by David Walend

Weblogs by David Walend from Java.net

Moving JDigraph - (Found July 2, 2008 )

I moved JDigraph from sourceforge to http:jdigraph.dev.java.net . Here's what I learned while moving.
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/1793

Defending Autoboxing (or Save Us From the Preprocessor) - (Found July 2, 2008 )

I plan to use autoboxing in a project, so I'm responding to Erb Cooper's damning blog, "The Terror That Is Autoboxing."
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/451

Design for Reuse: Source Directory Structures for Java Projects - (Found July 2, 2008 )

I reuse code from almost every project I've ever worked on. Structuring the project to help reuse seems to be important, but isn't without cost. I have settled on one way, but am not convinced it's the best.
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/475

Design For Exceptions - (Found July 2, 2008 )

I'm surprised by Bill Venner's recent discussions on Exceptions with James Gosling and Anders Hejlsberg. Exceptions are one of the best features of Java. I think the problems that Dr. Hejlsberg describes are easy to contain if the development team decides how they're going to handle trouble before they get too deep into their work. Here's what I usually do.
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/542

Reviewing the Java Community Process v. 2.6 (JSR-215) - (Found July 2, 2008 )

The Java Community Process's is supposed to produce "high quality specifications ... using an iterative review process that allows an ever-widening audience to review and comment on the document" JSR-215 should make that a reality.
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/604

Coupling in Software Architecture - (Found July 2, 2008 )

Coupling in software architecture seems to form a spectrum, based on what has to change to make the system do something different. At one end of the spectrum are dissociated ubiquitous services, like those envisioned by JXTA. At the other end are the highly-coupled systems of architectural nightmares. I haven't found anything that lays out the spectrum well, so here's my attempt.
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/896

Shutdown Hooks - (Found July 2, 2008 )

A shutdown hook is a Thread designed to be run after a program receives a signal to exit, but before daemon threads stop, finalizers run, and the JVM goes poof. Shutdown hooks are great for clearing dirty caches, closing out open resources, and announcing this shutdown to other processes.
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/1275

SomnifugiJMS for User Interfaces, Now With Example Code - (Found July 2, 2008 )

I've been meaning to follow up on an article by Johnathan Simon where he hinted that one could use Somnifugi JMS to handle threads efficiently in a Swing interface. Here's some example code that should provide a good starting point.
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/1473

Test Driving Generics - (Found July 2, 2008 )

The documentation for generics in jdk 1.5 beta 2 is pretty thin, but tutorials are starting to pop up on the internet. I hope this blog entry supplements those by showing how I was able to use them in JDigraph.
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/1656

SomnifugiJMS for User Interfaces and Simple-Enough APIs - (Found July 2, 2008 )

David Walend presents a way of containing the complexity of user interface Threads within Somnifugi JMS, and contemplates why some APIs become widely adopted while others are abandoned.
http://weblogs.java.net/pub/wlg/433