Library development

• creating a jar/binary to use within other application, to provide some functionality

• The user/consumer, can use the functionality how they see fit

• This involves creating an API

  • A set of method signatures (method name, return type, inputs) as contracts that the use can use

    • This can include constructors, thus constructors need to be thought about too

  • This can lead to coupling, so changes to these api can break users

Design considerations

Backwards compatibility

Versioning

• semantic

Tests

• To check it works

• To see how it works

  • Documented tests

  • example tests

Documentation

• Java docs

• wiki/readme

Access to library

• Best to use a build (maven/gradle) and CI to create the binary, and push it to the repository

• local

  • create jar, and add to class path

• Allow users to create it locally

• Create it and push it to a private/public repository (artifactory, maven, jitpack etc)

  • If paid, create and give it to them so they can add it

Links

• https://www.oracle.com/corporate/features/library-in-java-best-practices.html

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX0e-Yi9f08 Writing a Java library with better experience -English version-

• https://dzone.com/refcardz/java-api-best-practices

• https://www.baeldung.com/design-a-user-friendly-java-library

• https://jlbp.dev