AutoRad

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Automated Release and Distribution

The Automated Release and Distribution system, know as AutoRad, is the keystone of software reuse and the Giant Java Tree concept. By automating, and standardizing, all of the essential tasks required to make Java packages more easily reused, we can encourage software reuse. We reward the developer for accepting the constraints of standardization by automated as much of the process as possible, and presenting the works in an environment that would be difficult to reproduce otherwise.

The AutoRad system automates the following tasks:

Releasing java packages
Building released packages
Generating PkgDoc documentation
Generating JavaDoc documentation
Building distribution archives
Synchronizing FTP servers and mirrors
Updating the GJT website and online documentation

The AutoRad coding standard establishes the minimum requirements that must be met to ensure that a package is compatible with AutoRad, and can be used by other developers without concern about availability and stability.

The steps performed by the AutoRad system, when a developer releases a package, provide a consistent, implied build platform that allows a developer to be confident in building their package on the foundation of other developers' code. Without this consistency, developers tend to stick with their own work, which negates the attempt to encourage code reuse.

The AutoRad system leverages the ability to write doclets for the new javadoc, defining custom javadoc tags for GJT packages that specify the release of the package, the packages that the package depends on, as well as the release tags of those dependent packages. You can view an example package.html document with custom GJT tags.

You can see a mockup of the release package form that developers you to release their packages. The page can be filled in and the "Submit" button clicked and you will be shown a mockup of the resulting job id page. You can also view an example of the email reply describing the results of the processing of the package release.