[HBASE-10251] Restore API Compat for PerformanceEvaluation.generateValue()

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 0.98.0, 0.98.1, 0.99.0, 0.98.2
• Fix Version/s: 0.99.0, 0.98.3
• Component/s: Client
• Labels: api_compatibility
• Hadoop Flags: Reviewed

Release Note

Adds back a deprecated #generateValue(Random) function to restore API compatibility.

• Assignee: Dima Spivak
• Reporter: Aleksandr Shulman
• Created: 27/Dec/13 23:48
• Updated: 21/Feb/15 23:32
• Resolved: 14/May/14 16:52

Description

Observed:

A couple of my client tests fail to compile against trunk because the method PerformanceEvaluation.generateValue was removed as part of HBASE-8496.

This is an issue because it was used in a number of places, including unit tests. Since we did not explicitly label this API as private, it's ambiguous as to whether this could/should have been used by people writing apps against 0.96. If they used it, then they would be broken upon upgrade to 0.98 and trunk.

Potential Solution:
The method was renamed to generateData, but the logic is still the same. We can reintroduce it as deprecated in 0.98, as compat shim over generateData. The patch should be a few lines. We may also consider doing so in trunk, but I'd be just as fine with leaving it out.

More generally, this raises the question about what other code is in this "grey-area", where it is public, is used outside of the package, but is not explicitly labeled with an AudienceInterface.