What are Java deliverables?

December 16, 2011 7:35 AM

Java: What are the expectations of deliverables for an SDK/API/library?

I currently ship a number of SDK/API/library products for the .NET platform. Our customer expectations are very clear: they want an installer that puts the assemblies in an appropriate place, informs VisualStudio about that location, installs items in the VX toolbox, installs integrated help, installs sample code and compiled demos and installs sample files.

What are the expectations for Java? A zip with the jar and javadoc and samples? An installer? Eclipse integration? What?

posted by plinth to Technology (4 answers total)

I'd want a Maven or Ivy repository and an Eclipse update site if you provide any Eclipse features.
posted by themel at 7:45 AM on December 16, 2011

I'd expect a Maven repository, containing your jar, your Javadoc, and defining any transitive dependencies that your code has. Ideally, with your source as well, if it's appropriate for your license model.

I'd also expect a separate zip download, containing your jar, your Javadoc, any third-party libraries I will need, and code samples.

I wouldn't expect an installer, unless there's something complex and OS-specific that it needs to do (and that would put me off, because I'd need to work out how to get that working on our continuous integration server and test servers, too).

I wouldn't expect Eclipse integration, unless you're specifically providing an Eclipse plugin (and I wouldn't use it anyway - I use IntelliJ IDEA)
posted by siskin at 10:12 AM on December 16, 2011

I wouldn't expect an installer. My biggest expectation would be logical consistency in the public interface of the API. If that is covered everything else is gravy.
posted by dgran at 10:55 AM on December 16, 2011

Thanks for the feedback. It appears that the Java world is deliciously uncomplicated in this regard.
posted by plinth at 6:27 PM on December 16, 2011