We might need "aliased" modules/configurations/artifactIds

[David Jencks]

I started working on a version of geronimo that uses the jta11  
transaction manager in the sandbox.  So, I wrote a new transaction  
configuration using the new gbean and started trying to assemble a  
server.  My new config has gbeans with exactly the same names (except  
for artifactId) as the old jta 1.0.1B configuration (present in  
GERONIMO-2398, please vote).  Now it turns out that in order to swap  
these configs I am going to need to change almost all the other  
configs so they depend on my new one instead of the old one.

This highlights a need for more functional-based dependencies.   
Conceptually we kind of want to say, "this module depends on a module  
supplying services A, B, C"

One idea I had that might be pretty easy to implement would be to  
expand the explicit-versions resolving code a bit so that you can  
supply a properties file that says "replace requests for artifactId X  
with artifactId Y"  and plug it in the the artifact resolver,  
configuration, and kernel so that when you ask for a gbean with  
artifactId X you get one with the same name map and interfaces but  
with artifactId Y.  I think of this as aliasing X as Y (or maybe its  
vice-versa).

I'm starting to try to implement this since I'm kind of blocked  
without something like this... but this might not be the best  
possible solution or even the easiest.  Anyone want to comment or  
suggest better ideas?

thanks
david jencks