[AVRO-971] IDL Import from project classpath

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Minor
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 1.6.1
• Fix Version/s: 1.6.2
• Component/s: java
• Labels: patch

Environment

Maven java projects

• Assignee: Victor Chau
• Reporter: Victor Chau
• Created: 08/Dec/11 00:31
• Updated: 27/Oct/17 20:48
• Resolved: 08/Feb/12 22:14

Description

Currently, it looks like the only option to importing another schema in IDL is to place the file being imported in the same directory as that of the importing avdl. In a setup where there are avdl's that are spread among several maven projects that are owned by different teams, this is logistically difficult to manage.

When using the avro-maven-plugin, I would like to be able to just create a dependency from my project on another jar that contains the avdl I am want to import and have Avro be smart enough to look for it in the classpath of the project containing the avdl when compiling my avdl.

Attached is a working patch that will:
1. Change the IDLProtocolMojo class to lookup the current project's classpath and create a new ClassLoader.
2. Give the Idl compiler class the ClassLoader before parsing the avdl.
3. If the Idl class encounters an import that it cannot resolve to the local directory while parsing, it will try to use the ClassLoader to load up the file being imported.

The patch spans the Avro 1.6.1 tag of the Java avro, avro-compiler, and avro-maven-plugin projects.

Issue Links

• relates to: AVRO-1036 IDL processing fails with multi-level nested imports