Re: [platform-debug-dev] Support for specifying Environment from Launch

[Dave_Dykstal@xxxxxxx]

Darin's breakdown of the function seems to have the right feel, even if a
location in the debug component might not be the right place.  Slightly
modified:

(1) A way to define/persist environments by name (*.core)
(2) A way to manipulate environments by the user (*.ui)
(3) A re-useable widget/page choosing/editing environments (*.ui)
and additionally:
(4) A means for expressing this environment at the time of use (e.g.,
build, run, ...)

I'm not sure how (1) is any different from the ways we already have for
storing name/value pairs (.properties files, persistent resource
properties, dialog properties, ...)?  Is it possible to reuse one of these
mechanisms?  It seems to me that the real value here is in the values
editor (2) and the scheme that pushes these values into the environment (3
& 4).

 Secondly, while this seems to be a natural fit for C on Unix/Windows, it
feels a wee bit forced for Java, and maybe not relevant at all for other
build and runtime environments -- e.g. COBOL on CICS (if this even makes
sense).  Any UI for launching or building probably has to take this into
account.

Third, I'm uneasy about the rules Jeff has proposed for combining
environments and overriding values.  I don't see a general mechanism there
yet.  The path example in the document requires an understanding of the use
of that variable on a given platform in order to accomplish the override.
I'd like to see this generalized.

-- Dave