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From: Stephen Nesbitt <snesbitt@cobaltgroup.com>
Reply-To: snesbitt@cobaltgroup.com
Organization: The Cobalt Group
To: Ant Users List <user@ant.apache.org>
Subject: Re: deployments...
Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 14:10:18 -0700
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On Friday 21 May 2004 08:07 am, EJ Ciramella wrote:
> How are people handling deployments? =A0Currently, we're using exploded
> directory structures (both in dev and in prod). =A0I'd like to see us get
> on the ear/war boat, but the biggest complaint is that it takes too long
> to see a change to a single jsp file (putting the jsp in the war and
> then putting the war in the ear takes about 2.5 min).

In my opinion this is a fundamental problem with the whole JAR/EAR/WAR thin=
g.=20
Packaging is nice but the expense associated with the packaging can put a=20
real dent in developer productivity. (Don't get me started on the whole=20
problem of replacing a single JSP located in a WAR embedded in an EAR!)

There are a couple of routes that I know of.
1) Weblogic 8.x supports a split-directory structure which essentially allo=
ws=20
you to overlay your development sandbox onto a Weblogic server. Unfortunate=
ly=20
it is Weblogic proprietary, requires use of BEA supplied ANT tasks which ar=
e=20
buggy and poorly implemented and will lock your build system into BEA's=20
development cycle (for some inane reason BEA distributes the build related
Ant tasks into their product related JARs )

2) You can - theoretically - setup a build target which will create an=20
exploded EAR/WAR structure for development purposes. Let's call it a=20
dev-deploy target. You also have a package target which spits out an EAR.=20
Developer's use the dev-deploy target, build engineering/release uses the=20
package target. ( I say theoretically because I'm not sure how to do explod=
ed=20
EJBs)

3) You can do a hybrid approach in which you continue to package EJBs, but =
use=20
exploded WARs with the WARs implemented as symbolic links to your developme=
nt=20
area. This of course assumes you are using UNIX and your development=20
structure - at least the WAR part - mimics an exploded WAR.

=2Dsteve
=2D-=20

Stephen Nesbitt
Senior Configuration Management Engineer
The Cobalt Group
206.219.8271
snesbitt@cobaltgroup.com

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