Java Plugin Framework 1.0.0 released

NEW DELHI: Java Plugin Framework (JPF) 1.0.0 the open source, LGPL licensed library to provide standard plug-in infrastructure to existing or new Java projects has been released. 

It took more than two years of development for JPF to reach the production quality, informed a post on SourceForge.Net. 

JPF 1.0.0 helps improve modularity and extensibility of Java systems and decrease their support and maintenance cost

JPF provides a runtime engine that dynamically discovers and loads "plug-ins". A plug-in is a structured component that describes itself to JPF using a "manifest". JPF maintains a registry of available plug-ins and the functions they provide.

One major goal of JPF is that the application (and its end-user) should not pay any memory or performance penalty for plug-ins that are installed, but not used. Plug-ins are added to the registry at application start-up or while the application is running but they are not loaded until they are called.

Main features of JPF include:

An open framework architecture- a set of Java interfaces and abstract classes; 

A clear API design- to help developers get sued to it easily; 

Built-in integrity check- for consistency during JPF start up; 

Strongly typed extension parameters-to provides a mechanism for declaring typed extension point parameters;

On-the-fly plug-in registration and activation.

JPF 1.0 has been designated as production quality and has been considered to be stable and 'frozen'. The runtime behavior of the framework has been reported as stable.

Visit project home page at http://jpf.sourceforge.net for further details, documentation and tutorial.

CIOL Bureau