java.lang.reflect.Proxy

[Eric Blake]

Unless anyone else speaks up, I will start implementing
java.lang.reflect.Proxy and related classes, added in JDK 1.3.  I believe I
can write it entirely in native Java, by using existing reflection methods,
so that it will integrate seamlessly into existing VMs without requiring any
additional native methods.  Hopefully, my copyright assignment will be
cleared within the next month, so that by the time I finish, I can commit it
directly into CVS.

To do this in pure Java, I plan to generate a byte[] on the fly that will
then be loaded as a class by the appropriate ClassLoader.  Should I use the
functionality already in gnu.bytecode, or should I write my dynamic
class-generator from scratch?

Benefits of writing my own:
 - Smaller footprint: only needs minimal feature set, tailored to the
problem
 - Self-contained within classpath: users do not need to have gnu.bytecode
installed

Benefits of gnu.bytecode:
 - Code reuse
 - Less likely to have bugs in generated code
 - Already under GPL+exception, so license is compatible


Recommendations?

--
Eric Blake, Elixent, Castlemead, Lwr Castle St., Bristol BS1 3AG, UK
address@hidden   tel:+44(0)117 917 5611