Hidden JBoss WAR Files...

[paraujo]

Hello everyone,

While testing out some build code with Ant and JBoss 3.0.3 I found that whenever I deployed my WAR and JAR files into the JBoss default/deploy directory a new, hidden directory is also getting created in the following path:

Documents and Settings -> <user account> -> Local~1 -> Temp -> <Strange Folder Name>

The <Strange Folder Name> seems to be comprised of the port number that JBoss is running on and the name of my WAR File. Curiously, I opened it up and found my complete WAR file un-wared with all my JSP's, servlets, images, css files, etc. We are thinking this has something to do with JBoss's hot-deploy feature but are not sure. (Note: this directory is hidden...so to view it you must set the proper permissions in your "Folder Option" settings).

Does anyone know the purpose of this directory?

P.S.
Strangely enough, deleting a jsp from this directory effectively removes it from the deployed application...so JBoss is definately pointing to this directory instead of pointing to the WAR file in the deploy directory...
Wa's up with that ? :)

[cnsxxx09]

AFAIK..

If you want to reference/use a file from an archive then you have to unzip it...this is standard behaviour (you will see the same in Weblogic, also using WinZip, etc).

C.
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[paraujo]

cnsxxx09,

Thanks for your feedback...but I don't quite agree. You can most definately access files in an archive (ex: you can access files in a jar file without unjaring it). I don't know if the same is true for WAR files since one of the major differences is that files in a JAR are all compiled classes and files in a WAR are not.

In any case, I don't buy it that this is standard behavior (maybe it is for JBoss but probably not for most other web application servers). If it is, why is the directory structure hidden and outside the normal JBoss directory structure.

As for WebLogic doing the same thing, I can't really say. I never found a hiddend directory structure being built outside the Weblogic directory.

Any more thoughts?

-Peter.

[cnsxxx09]

A WAR file is a special archive that in intself can contain JAR files....is it possible to directly reference a class within a jar which is within a war without first unzipping it?
(I admit it is a pain, my SysAdmin is complaining that after each deployment there is a new xxx meg WAR directory created..and since hot deployment no longer works in JBoss3 then...)

In addition, as you say, it contains uncompiled files in addition - is it possible to compile, say, a JSP file or maybe the Cocoon sitemap if it is within a WAR archive?

...I cannot speak about other App Servers but this is how both JBoss and how WebLogic work - look (I think in $WL_HOME/tmp) for directories called *.ejb, *.war etc etc (if my memory serves me correct). Or perhaps it is in a hidden directory called something like .wl_do_not_delete - memory is a bit hazy on WebLogic I'm afraid.

Rgds