A pre-processor for #ifdef / #endif

I can't use logging levels because they don't want the ability even there - an employee could change the logging level. If logging is not in there, then that is not a worry.

I can't use another extension as then running the code from IntelliJ becomes a problem - and it doesn't even know my files are java files.

Any other ideas?

thanks - dave

DavidThia at 2007-7-11 12:38:31 >

> I can't use logging levels because they don't want

> the ability even there - an employee could change the

> logging level. If logging is not in there, then that

> is not a worry.

Well, they could also sneak in a disassembler or a kernel debugger and figure out what's going on that way.

In case of such requirements the best thing to do is to take a baseball bat and kick some common sense into the persons making them.

jwentinga at 2007-7-11 12:38:31 >

Shipping code that's different from the code you tested (as you do when you recompile without logging code before shipping) is dangerous.

I've had applications fail because of timing problems when a single line was removed, and then there's the very real risk of placing too much inside a conditional compile block, something you'd never notice in testing.

jwentinga at 2007-7-11 12:38:31 >

yes, but that's not safe.

Someone could easily hack the classfile and change the boolean to true...

Best way of course is to go to a service architecture where the application is never run on the end user machines but on a server hosted in a controlled environment and only the results are sent to the clients (probably in the form of a web application).

In that scenario you can log all you want if you lock up the server room and trust the people who have the key (who are usually more trusted than the programmers so that should be no problem).

jwentinga at 2007-7-11 12:38:31 >

The following source compiled and then decompiled with jad provides:

public class foo

{

private final static boolean NEED_LOGGING = false;

void foo( String is, Object needed )

{

if ( NEED_LOGGING )

{

log( "whatever " + is + needed );

}

doit( needed );

if ( NEED_LOGGING )

{

log( "whatever " + is + " done" );

}

}

void doit( Object needed )

{

}

void log( String what )

{

if ( NEED_LOGGING )

{

System.err.println( what );

}

}

}

// Decompiled by Jad v1.5.8f. Copyright 2001 Pavel Kouznetsov.

// Jad home page: http://www.kpdus.com/jad.html

// Decompiler options: packimports(3)

// Source File Name:foo.java

public class foo

{

public foo()

{

}

void foo(String s, Object obj)

{

doit(obj);

}

void doit(Object obj)

{

}

void log(String s)

{

}

private static final boolean NEED_LOGGING = false;

}

BIJ001a at 2007-7-11 12:38:31 >