Serge Huber created KARAF-7872:
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Summary: New CLI Tool: show-manifest.py for OSGI Bundle Manifest
Analysis
Key: KARAF-7872
URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/KARAF-7872
Project: Karaf
Issue Type: Improvement
Components: karaf
Reporter: Serge Huber
Attachments: show-manifest.py
I'd like to contribute a new command-line tool called show-manifest.py to the
Apache Karaf project. This tool is designed to simplify the process of
analyzing OSGI Bundle Manifest files within JAR archives.
{*}Purpose{*}:
The show-manifest.py script provides a quick and easy way for developers and
system administrators to inspect the contents of MANIFEST.MF files without
having to extract the JAR or use complex tools. This tool addresses a common
pain point in OSGi development and deployment workflows.
As an OSGi developer, I often encounter situations where a generated JAR fails
during deployment. In these cases, being able to quickly inspect the OSGi
Manifest is crucial for diagnosing the issue. However, the process of
extracting the JAR and locating the MANIFEST.MF file can be time-consuming and
disruptive to the debugging workflow. The show-manifest.py script solves this
problem by allowing immediate inspection of the manifest directly from the JAR
file.
This tool is particularly useful for:
1. Quickly troubleshooting deployment failures by examining bundle metadata,
version information, and dependencies.
2. Verifying that the manifest contains the expected entries after the build
process.
3. Comparing manifests across different versions of a bundle to identify
changes that might affect deployment or runtime behavior.
4. Educating new OSGi developers by providing an easy way to explore and
understand manifest structures.
By streamlining the manifest inspection process, this tool can significantly
reduce the time spent on diagnosing deployment issues and improve overall
development efficiency in OSGi-based projects.
*Key Features:*
1. Extracts and displays the MANIFEST.MF content from a specified JAR file.
2. Parses and formats complex headers (e.g., Bundle-ClassPath, Export-Package)
for improved readability.
3. Supports both a "fancy" output mode with box-drawing characters and a simple
mode for better compatibility across different terminal emulators.
4. Easy to use with a simple command-line interface.
*Usage:*
show-manifest <path_to_jar>
*Benefits:*
1. Speeds up the process of inspecting OSGI bundle manifests.
2. Improves readability of complex manifest headers.
3. Works as a standalone script, making it easy to integrate into various
workflows.
4. Helps developers quickly verify bundle configurations and dependencies.
*Implementation:*
The script is written in Python and uses only standard library modules,
ensuring wide compatibility. It can be easily integrated into the Karaf toolset
or distributed as a standalone utility.
I look forward to your feedback and the opportunity to contribute this tool to
the Apache Karaf project.
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