Websphere Application extensions and Spring DM

[raffaeleguidi]

I quote websphere 6.1 documentation

In addition, now your applications can use the Eclipse extension framework. Your applications are extensible as soon as you define an extension point and provide the extension processing code for the extensible area of the application. You can also plug an application into another extensible application by defining an extension that adheres to the target extension point requirements. The extension point can find the newly added extension dynamically and the new function is seamlessly integrated in the existing application[...]

source: publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/wasinfo/v6r1/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.websphere.nd.multiplatform.doc/info/ae/ae/welc6tech_appsvcs.htm (sorry, cannot insert urls yet)

This basically states that starting from WAS 6.1 the eclipse plugin container (which is equinox) is available to use for customers to build application plugins. Has anybody tried that - even better - tried that with Spring DM? Can you give me some guidance?

[Costin Leau]

I tried your link but it didn't work. I searched around the WAS documentation and the extension that I think it refers to is the Eclipse one. Spring DM currently is focused at just OSGi and thus is based on OSGi services and not Equinox extensions.
There is a good article comparing the two available here: http://www.eclipsezone.com/articles/...s-vs-services/

[raffaeleguidi]

But it says that basically they do the same things, if I get it well. I think that having support for the OSGi (ok, "estensions") container embedded in websphere would be a great add to Spring DM - and I suspect that, with proper guidance, it could be not so hard (...ok, this is quite a bet). I also think that having out-of-the-box support for Spring DM in WebSphere would be a great add for the IBM guys

I should be able to post the link for "Learning Websphere Programming Extensions" - here it is again:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoce...h_appsvcs.html

[Costin Leau]

Eclipse Extensions are not as dynamic as OSGi services at runtime - thus one can manually import them and use them as they are. The rest of the OSGi environment can still be used and accessed through Spring DM but not the service part.
If you feel this is something that would be useful, raise an issue with a proposal identifying the important areas and we'll see what we can do about it.
Or even better, contribute some code either through JIRA or Spring Extensions.

[raffaeleguidi]

Eclipse Extensions are not as dynamic as OSGi services at runtime - thus one can manually import them and use them as they are. The rest of the OSGi environment can still be used and accessed through Spring DM but not the service part.
it.

Just to be sure I understand you well - you mean that:
1) I can do that using Spring DM without any modification?
2) ...and without any special configuration?

If you feel this is something that would be useful, raise an issue with a proposal identifying the important areas and we'll see what we can do about it.

If the answer to above questions is "yes" I would just propose to (I will do it through jira, of course) do some hack in websphere to support for OSGi services (maybe through a WebSphere extension? lol!). If code is ready and special configuration is needed I would ask for an example and a chapter in the docs (as the one about websphere transaction manager support in spring framework - I could try do that but need your ok). If code is not ready... well, code - I don't think I know enough about OSGi internals to do it by myself.

[Costin Leau]

What I'm saying is that Spring DM integrates with the OSGi environment both in terms of service dynamics but also API simplification. The two can be used separately as you wish. The WebSphere extension API however uses the Eclipse Extension which are not the same thing as OSGi services and thus cannot be used with Spring DM as it is right now.