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Message-ID: <3949477A.511F9038@gefionsoftware.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 14:15:38 -0700
From: Hans Bergsten <hans@gefionsoftware.com>
Organization: Gefion software
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: tomcat-dev@jakarta.apache.org
Subject: Re: bad assumption: JSP Recompilation based on class timestamp?
References: <NDBBLIEPKKBLGNDFIBKIOEPMCKAA.chris@openvertical.com>
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Chris Higgins wrote:
> 
> The jasper compiler checks to see if a jsp needs to be recompiled based on
> if the *class* file on the filesystem is older than the JSP file.  This
> doesn't exactly work in VisualAge since VAJ produces a class file in the
> repository (not on the filesystem proper).
> 
> I know I am biased in this particular situation, but should Jasper assume
> that the java compiler (which doesn't necessarily have to be Sun's) produces
> a .class file in the target directory?  That seems like something the
> compiler MAY do, but doesn't HAVE TO.  After we run the compiler, its out of
> Jasper's hands.  Shouldn't the date comparison be against the generated java
> file instead of the class file?
> 
> I know that I need this fix for using Tomcat in VisualAge (otherwise every
> reload causes the compilation step), and I'm sure others would like to do
> the same thing.  I've already made the change on my code base but wondered
> if it should be rolled into Tomcat.

The problem with comparing to the generated .java file is that this file
is only kept if "keepGenerated" is specified. I agree that it would be
nice with some other method than comparing to the .class file in the file
system (since a file system is not a given), but I'm afraid I don't have
a solution to suggest at this time.

Hans
-- 
Hans Bergsten		hans@gefionsoftware.com
Gefion Software		http://www.gefionsoftware.com