Name: yyT116575 Date: 02/21/2001


java version "1.3.0_01"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.3.0_01)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.3.0_01, mixed mode)

Alternate summary: java.rmi.server.codebase must be assigned before first use of
RMI machinery

The RMI specifications states that the "java.rmi.server.codebase" system
property is used to annotate classes from a server JVM.
However, I experienced that this property must be defined the first time the RMI
system is used. If ever some code in the same JVM already looked up an object
into an RMI registry and at that time no "java.rmi.server.codebase" system
property was defined, then all subsequent uses of the RMI subsystem will work
with the same initial null value of the "java.rmi.server.codebase" system
property and ignore any value assigned after the first call.


Looking at the provided JDK sources, I think this comes from the fact that
java.rmi.server.RMIClassLoader.getClassAnnotation(Class cl) makes a static call
to sun.rmi.server.LoaderHandler.getClassAnnotation(cl) and that this class may
cache for performance reasons a copy of the "java.rmi.server.codebase" system
property value that is initialized once.

The net result is that it is difficult to ship a Java library that will coexist
with other code in the same JVM, and have that library dynamically define the
"java.rmi.server.codebase" system property.
It would be desirable to fix this problem by either removing the optimization
made, or by providing a way to dynamically force the refresh/assignment of the
current codebase.

I hope that at least this report can save time to some developers wondering why
they dynamic assignement of the "java.rmi.server.codebase" system property is
ignored.
(Review ID: 117382)
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