Name: diC59631 Date: 08/07/98


Several types of Java applications use dynamically
generated and compiled code. The most obvious example
is a JSP web server.

Currently, the only way to compile dynamically
generated code is to:

1 - Make a temporary .java file and invoke javac
using Runtime.exec. This is rather inelegant and
prone to problems related to platform dependent
behavior for processes. Its also subject to
applet security restrictions.

2 - Hack the internals of javac and use the Java
interfaces. It works but its totally undocumented
and unsupported. It also doesn't allow you to use
a different vendor's compiler.

This feature is for a standard interface that
is available as a standard extension to Java.
That way you have a richer way to access the
compiler (if one is available) without forking a
new process or relying on undocumented features.
You also make it easy for the user to install a
different compiler without breaking the tools
that rely on it.

There are some requirements that the interface
should meet:

1 - Be simple to use.
2 - Be stream-based (not file-based). It should
accept an InputStream (or Reader) for the source
code and generate the class file on an OutputStream.


(Review ID: 36593)
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