Introduction

This document lists changes made to the API between core/startup and core modules. It is a friend API so it does not need to be developed compatibly, and indeed it is not.

Index of APIs

• Startup Bridge Friend API
• System Properties Friend API
• Uncategorized changes

Incompatible changes by date

Fuller descriptions of all changes can be found below (follow links).

Not all deprecations are listed here, assuming that the deprecated APIs continue to essentially work. For a full deprecation list, please consult the Javadoc.

• (Dec 20 '06) Environment variables are no longer accessible through system properties
• (Feb 15 '05) Adding new methods into CoreBridge

All changes by date

• (Jun 2 '23) Provide tokens for the CPU architecture as org.openide.modules.arch.${os_arch}
• (May 11 '19) An optional version string can be added to the splash screen.
• (Feb 25 '15) Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.
• (May 31 '13) Control generation of all-resources.dat
• (Jan 10 '13) Main.getModuleSystem(false)
• (Nov 12 '12) Asynchronous shutdown
• (Apr 13 '12) getDefault
• (Mar 21 '12) isShowInAutoUpdateClient
• (Sep 2 '11) netbeans.productversion property
• (Oct 17 '10) netbeans.bootdelegation property
• (Dec 20 '06) Environment variables are no longer accessible through system properties
• (Feb 15 '05) Adding new methods into CoreBridge

Changes by version

These API specification versions may be used to indicate that a module requires a certain API feature in order to function. For example, if you see here a feature you need which is labelled 1.20, your manifest should contain in its main attributes the line:

OpenIDE-Module-Module-Dependencies: org.netbeans.core.startup > 1.20

• (1.84) Provide tokens for the CPU architecture as org.openide.modules.arch.${os_arch}
• (1.61) An optional version string can be added to the splash screen.
• (1.60) Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.
• (1.50) Control generation of all-resources.dat
• (1.47) Main.getModuleSystem(false)
• (1.45) Asynchronous shutdown
• (1.39) getDefault
• (1.38) isShowInAutoUpdateClient
• (1.35) netbeans.productversion property
• (1.26) netbeans.bootdelegation property
• (1.8) Environment variables are no longer accessible through system properties
• (1.7) Adding new methods into CoreBridge

Changes by affected class

org.netbeans.core.startup.layers.ArchiveURLMapper

• (Feb 25 '15) Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.

org.netbeans.core.startup.AutomaticDependencies

• (Apr 13 '12) getDefault

org.netbeans.core.startup.CoreBridge

• (Feb 15 '05) Adding new methods into CoreBridge

org.netbeans.core.startup.base.LayerFactory

• (Feb 25 '15) Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.

org.netbeans.core.startup.layers.LocalFileSystemEx

• (Feb 25 '15) Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.

org.netbeans.core.startup.Main

• (May 31 '13) Control generation of all-resources.dat
• (Jan 10 '13) Main.getModuleSystem(false)
• (Dec 20 '06) Environment variables are no longer accessible through system properties

org.netbeans.core.startup.layers.ModuleLayeredFileSystem

• (Feb 25 '15) Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.

org.netbeans.core.startup.ModuleSystem

• (Nov 12 '12) Asynchronous shutdown
• (Mar 21 '12) isShowInAutoUpdateClient

org.netbeans.core.startup.layers.NbinstURLMapper

• (Feb 25 '15) Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.

org.netbeans.core.startup.layers.NbinstURLStreamHandler

• (Feb 25 '15) Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.

org.netbeans.core.startup.layers.SystemFileSystem

• (Feb 25 '15) Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.

Details of all changes by API and date

Startup Bridge Friend API

Classes related to preferences and layered filesystems split into a separate module.

Layered filesystem impl and preferences was split off to core.startup.base module. A SPI was created in core.startup.base and implemented in core.startup for actual FileSystem creation.

Main.getModuleSystem(false)

Method getModuleSystem(false) to get existing module system without initializing it.

Asynchronous shutdown

Method shutDownAsync to allow asynchronous tasks to accessp EDT. Also in ModuleInstaller and ModuleManager. Also adding method markForRestart into ModuleSystem.

getDefault

Returns instance of AutomaticDependencies based on default list of transformations.

isShowInAutoUpdateClient

Method to allow ergonomics and autoupdate to check if a module is visible in the autoupdate client.

Adding new methods into CoreBridge

System Properties Friend API

Control generation of all-resources.dat

Use org.netbeans.core.update.all.resources to control how all-resources.dat cache is being generated.

netbeans.productversion property

New property netbeans.productversion is available.

netbeans.bootdelegation property

New property netbeans.bootdelegation is available.

Environment variables are no longer accessible through system properties

Uncategorized changes

Provide tokens for the CPU architecture as org.openide.modules.arch.${os_arch}

There are libraries, that are only compatible with a single architecture. Modules wrapping these must be able to signal this and prevent loading. One such example is OpenJFX.

An optional version string can be added to the splash screen.

Branding bundles may now include the SplashVersionTextBounds, SplashVersionTextFontSize, SplashVersionTextFontType, SplashVersionTextColor, and SplashVersionTextHorizontalAlignment properties in order to display the application's product version and build number in the startup splash screen.