Announcement: Version 99 Does Not Exist

In a previous post I announced no-commons-logging (a.k.a. commons-logging version 99.0-does-not-exist). After a request to add no-commons-logging-api I immediately realized that this can be generalized. So here it is: Version 99 Does Not Exist.

Features
Version 99 Does Not Exist emulates a Maven 2 repository and serves empty jars for any valid package that has version number 99.0-does-not-exist. It also generates poms, metadata files and of course the appropriate hashes.

For example the following links will give an empty jar, its pom and the maven metadata for commons-logging.

Why?
To get rid of dependencies that maven 2 insists on including on your classpath (like commons-logging while you want to use jcl-over-slf4j).

How do you use it?
First of all: if you were using no-commons-logging before, you do not need to change anything! Version 99 Does Not Exist is fully backward compatible with no-commons-logging. Otherwise, read on.

In your pom.xml declare the following 2 things: 1) the Version 99 Does Not Exist repository, and 2) for each jar that you get but do not want, declare a dependency with version 99.0-does-not-exist.

So, for example, if you do not want to be bothered with commons-logging, include the following in your pom.xml:

<repositories>
    <repository>
        <id>Version99</id>
        <name>Version 99 Does Not Exist Maven repository</name>
        <layout>default</layout>
        <url>http://no-commons-logging.zapto.org/mvn2</url>
    </repository>
</repositories>
<dependencies>
    <!-- get empty jar instead of commons-logging -->
    <dependency>
        <groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
        <artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
        <version>99.0-does-not-exist</version>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>

When?
Right now. As I received questions on how stable this service will be, I hereby promise to keep this maven repository on-line for at least 5 years (or until no-ip stops offering their free dns service). Read further if you want to run Version 99 Does Not Exist yourself.

How?
Version 99 Does Not Exist is implemented in a single file as a Camping application.

Where is the code?
If you want to run it yourself you'll need the following: Version 99 Does Not Exist download (rb file, 4Kb, MIT license), Ruby, Ruby Gems and Camping. Version 99 Does Not Exist is started with a simple camping version99.rb. Good camping!

Update 2007-11-06: The empty jar is no longer completely empty as 'mvn site' fails on it. Thanks to Stefan Fußenegger for the report.

Update 2007-12-14: The repository was off line for a day or so because I goofed while switching internet provider. Now, it is not only working again, but reachability is better then ever: 10 Mbit/s up and down!

Update 2008-02-09: Version 1.2: another update to the empty jar. Sasha Ovsankin reported that the compiler could not open it. The jar now contains a valid manifest. Thanks Sacha!