如何将最新的Groovy（2.4）与最新的Netbeans（8.2）集成？

Question

This question follows-on from notes against Netbeans v8.0.1.

• Wondering how to use Groovy 2.3 with Netbeans 8?

This question is now critical since I began using Spock for Java testing since it is Groovy based.

I like Spock and I'd prefer to work with the same Groovy version within Netbeans, as I use with Gradle and on the command line.

Also, I am using sdkman which means that the " working " Groovy version can swap depending on which project or which version of a package I need to work on. In short I want Netbeans to work with ...

• current Groovy version

At present ...

  $ groovy -version
  Groovy Version: 2.4.7 JVM: 1.8.0_102 Vendor: Oracle Corporation OS: Linux
  $
  $ gradle -version

  ------------------------------------------------------------
  Gradle 3.1
  ------------------------------------------------------------

  Build time:   2016-09-19 10:53:53 UTC
  Revision:     13f38ba699afd86d7cdc4ed8fd7dd3960c0b1f97

  Groovy:       2.4.7
  Ant:          Apache Ant(TM) version 1.9.6 compiled on June 29 2015
  JVM:          1.8.0_102 (Oracle Corporation 25.102-b14)
  OS:           Linux 4.4.0-36-generic amd64

And when the Groovy and Gradle project runs on the command-line...

 $ gradle build
 Starting a Gradle Daemon (subsequent builds will be faster)
 Gradle version: 3.1
 Groovy version: 2.4.7
 Java version:   1.8.0_102
 :compileJava
 :compileGroovy
     ...

Running the same Gradle build.gradle project within Netbeans:

Executing: gradle build
Arguments: [-u]

Gradle version: 3.1
Groovy version: 2.4.4
Java version:   1.8.0_102
:compileJava UP-TO-DATE
:compileGroovy UP-TO-DATE

At present I have NO idea where v2.4.4 Groovy came from! Although I am formulating an uncomfortable hypothesis which I'll plonk at the end.

With Netbeans there seem to be two different problems which I'll cover separately. I will take the second point first, as it probably impacts the point # 1 more than we realise..

1. Inconsistent Groovy packaging and support
2. Ineffective configuration-method to select/use a specific Groovy platform or version.

1. Inconsistent Groovy configuration

The documented Groovy configuration process

• Advice seems to believe that just changing the Groovy library to the latest groovy-all.jar is enough
• http://www.areaofthoughts.com/2011/11/upgrading-groovy-in-netbeans-ide-71.html
• https://netbeans.org/features/groovy/

This hasn't worked very well at all judging by the relevant questions/comments out there ...

• How to use Groovy 2.0 in netbeans
• a bit of googling gets you over 10,000 hits and
• quite a few on the first page seem to be active bugs.

A mythbuster ... I have been adding this snippet to Groovy and Gradle scripts

println  "Gradle version: "+ gradle.gradleVersion;
println  "Groovy version: "+ GroovySystem.version;
println  "Java version:   "+ System.getProperty("java.version");

The output when running with netbeans 8.2 on Windows and Linux is curious.

Groovy version: 2.1.3
Java version:   1.8.0_102

I was thinking v2.1.3 is the groovy-all JAR file that comes with Netbeans -- how silly of me :

The Netbeans log show me that the Groovy module loaded was:

"Groovy 2.1.7" jar:nbinst://org.netbeans.modules.libs.groovy/modules/ext/groovy-all.jar!/

I checked that JAR, and this JAR file reports its version 2.4.5 :

$ java -jar /opt/dev/netbeans/home/groovy/modules/ext/groovy-all.jar  -version
Groovy Version: 2.4.5 JVM: 1.8.0_102 Vendor: Oracle Corporation OS: Linux

Where does Groovy v2.1.3 come from? I accidentally found that too. I swapped out the bundled (and mislabelled in libraries) v2.1.7 JAR file with the current embedded groovy-all (v2.4.7).

When I started Netbeans 8.2 ... I ran my Groovy main program:

Gradle version: 3.1
Groovy version: 2.1.3
Java version:   1.8.0_102

Huh ! No difference ... Now. Look at the output from a Gradle build under Netbeans (which also runs a Groovy run-time...):

Executing: gradle build
Arguments: [-u]

Gradle version: 3.1
Groovy version: 2.4.4
Java version:   1.8.0_102
:compileJava UP-TO-DATE
:compileGroovy

Summarising; Netbeans appears to embody the following Groovy run-time versions:

• 2.1.3
• 2.1.7
• 2.4.4
• 2.4.5

And even though I have established a groovy library as: groovy-all-2.4.7.jar and put this JAR into the Netbeans Groovy modules area:

 /opt/dev/netbeans/home/groovy/modules/ext
     groovy-all.jar
#    After copying the embeddable/groovy-all-2.4.7.jar 
#    into Netbeans Groovy/modules ...
#
$ java -jar /opt/dev/netbeans/home/groovy/modules/ext/groovy-all.jar  -version
Groovy Version: 2.4.7 JVM: 1.8.0_102 Vendor: Oracle Corporation OS: Linux

Still NO scripts report the Groovy version as: 2.4.7.

To mis -quote The Princess Bride , " Groovy integration with Netbeans ... You seem to use this word alot .

• " I don't think you know what it means ."

2. Groovy packaging with Netbeans

As a counter point; I found the Gradle configuration ... These language/platform configurations can suit my needs:

• Gradle ( qualified )
• Maven
• Javascript
• JRuby and Ruby
• Java

Things that don't work well in a Netbeans context are:

• Scala
• Gradle (not integrated)
• Groovy
• Ant ( yes )

Why can't Netbeans support a "Groovy platform" across all components and activities?!

Good examples for Groovy would be to look at how Netbeans supports:

• Java platforms
• Maven
• Gradle - while clumsy imho, it works

Whereas Groovy appears to be all over the place. Clearly the use of Library functionality is NOT working.

I want some consistent Groovy language operation with Netbeans. It this means I need to fiddle with Bundles and get down and dirty, then may be that's a good thing because what I'm experiencing is Unsatisfactory.

hypothesis :

IDEA, Eclipse and Netbeans are using OSGi for component assembly.

It looks to me as if individual plug-ins or simple build packages are including their own Groovy package.

That can be a good thing for something that isn't meant to interact with projects or developers.

---

From my perspective I think it would be better if Groovy was a First Class language. So there is ONLY ONE Groovy version working at any particular time.

So that groovy based tooling like (say) Gradle, Spock and Groovy scripting are ALL the SAME Groovy run-time, same AST and on and on.

Hopefully the Stackoverflow collective have enough insight to identify methods to get things happening better.

Answer 1

On your project node, right click and choose Properties from the menu. Choose the Libraries category. In the Compile tab, you'll see under Compile-time Libraries: "Groovy 2.1.7". Select it, and click "Edit". In the Classath tab, you'll see under Library Classpath that it refers to a groovy-all.jar under the NetBeans installation directory.

In my preferred groovy installation at /usr/share/groovy, I found an alternative jar file at embeddable/groovy-all.jar. By removing the existing Library Classpath and replacing it with this one, you can compile your project to using Groovy 2.4.12.