Dear Bernd,
I am familiar with Object Oriented Programming more than 16 years. I am
familiar with more than 8 programming languages like Basic, Fortran-77,
Pascal, x86 Assembler, C, C++, 4GL Magic, Java and others. I use Java
from 1998.
In my specific case I found a bug which I try to fix with inheriting.
Unfortunately the class/method was private and this was impossible.
Looking in the source code I see too many thing that can be improved but
unfortunately the classes.methods were private also.
There are 2 ways to fix bugs, to improve the code and to add some
basic/fundamental futures. The 1st is to be part of the team of this
project and the 2nd is to inherit the code. Because I haven't time to be
part of this project I try 2nd way but without success.
Regards,
Miro.
Bernd Fondermann написа:
Hi Miroslav,
All the source code is fully available under the Apache Software
License. So this project is indeed 'open source'.
Development is done in public and is open to everyone.
Marking Java classes, methods and fields as 'private' or 'protected'
has nothing to do with the 'openness' of the project itself.
It is just a fundamental concept called 'encapsulation' in
object-oriented languages like Java is one. (see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_Oriented , section Fundamental
Concepts, bullet point Encapsulation)
If you need to change behavior of encapsulated code, take the source
code and modify as you like.
Bernd
Miroslav Nachev wrote:
Hi,
I like the idea for Java based Mail Servers. That's why I am in this
forum more than 6 years. I used James about 2 years and the reason to
stop using was that all classes and methods expect the mains were
private or protected. I met that when I try to do some changes, to
add some extras and to improve it. Then I ask why is this protection
in case that this is a Open Source project. The answer was that this
is the politic of the team. After that I stop used James (now I am
using PostFix and QMail) but I am looking for new more open Java
based Mail Servers.
What is the situation now? Are most of the classes and methods still
private and protected or are public?
Best Regards,
Miroslav Nachev
