[DrJava] JSwat Integration + DrJava "Trust"

[Peter C. <cen...@ri...>]

I recently enabled the JSwat integration in my copy of DrJava 
with the properties file options.  However, when I try to enable 
and then disable the debugger, I get FileNotFoundExceptions for 
~/.jswat/settings and ~/.jswat/breakpoints.  It's not hard to 
figure out what those files are supposed to be, but since there 
is no user documentation for DrJava, I would have to search out 
the details from outside sources.  There is also no visible 
indication in the app itself that there was a problem with the 
debugger or what the problem was.  The check mark is simply 
removed from the menu item as normal.  While the debugger is 
enabled, it is also possible to trigger IllegalStateExceptions 
by trying to Run Current Document or Toggle Breakpoint on a new, 
unsaved file.

We shouldn't allow end users to see unhandled exceptions, 
especially such basic ones.  On the command line, there is no 
specific error message, just a raw stack trace of the 
exceptions.  For Mac OS X users who double-click the jar file or 
run a .app package, there is no indication of an error 
whatsoever.  I don't know whether this is a "ease of use issue" 
or a bug.

<rant>

Perhaps we are being too dependent on our unit tests and not 
doing enough of the direct kind of beta testing that finds 
unexpected errors.  Small things like this make our work seem 
amateurish and unpolished, no matter how good the 
functionality.  Perhaps we should make the release process more 
structured and infrequent, adding more time for testing before a 
public release.  The current system allows changes to be 
released with scarcely hours of use and no formal testing.  
There have been several recent examples of released 
functionality being removed or rolled back due to major problems.

DrJava is getting bigger and more complex.  It's very close to 
becoming a one-stop lightweight IDE, with many of the key 
features necessary for regular development needs.  However, I'm 
not confident that it is mature enough to be trusted.  I think 
this will be a key consideration for our users, who are mainly 
hobbyists and college students who are not ready to fight with a 
flaky system.

I'd like to hear from the other developers and users of DrJava 
about this issue.  Do you think the way we currently develop 
DrJava is sufficient to ensure that we release a user-ready 
system?  Are there ways to extend the unit-test framework to 
catch more unanticipated problems, or do we need a new method of 
testing?  How valuable is it to provide a more polished system, 
and is it worth taking some development effort away from core 
features to achieve it?  Am I barking up the wrong tree?

</rant>

--
Peter