[External] : Re: How to open a package from a module in the boot layer to a module in another layer?

[Andrew Dinn]

Hi Ron,

On 14/01/2025 12:30, Ron Pressler wrote:
> If you believe it's okay for the invariants of your core components possibly being compromised by plugins, that’s fine — and you can do what Alex suggested — but the JDK isn’t okay with that. If you insist on opening java.base to all code, that is an extreme, non-standard, and dangerous mode that *should* require extreme measures such as employing an agent — not a standard API.

I am afraid that last sentence doesn't make much sense to me.

I certainly think Java devs should and mostly do agree that opening 
java.base to all code is a non-standard and risky mode in which to 
operate the JVM (n.b. I switched out 'dangerous' and 'extreme' as I'm 
not quite sure what they add to your pejorative assessment beyond 
jeremiad-redolent rhetoric). However, you also seem to be saying that 
employing an agent is an extreme measure. How so?

I have a corollary question: are you implying that using an agent to 
expose java.base code selectively to targeted library, framework or, 
even, application code is always inherently risky (dangerous or extreme, 
even)? I  ask because agents *are* provided with a API that explicitly 
enables them to do this and you appear to be suggesting that this was/is 
a mistake (n.b. that API was added because I demonstrated that, absent 
such an API and given sufficient bytecode weaving ingenuity, an agent 
can easily achieve the same outcome as if it were to use the API, only 
probably with more risk of error).

regards,


Andrew Dinn
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