The Java EE library feature provides an easy way to share one or more types of Java EE modules among multiple Enterprise Applications.
A Java EE library is a stand-alone EJB or Web Application module, multiple EJB or Web Application modules packaged in an Enterprise Application (EAR), or a single plain JAR file that is registered with the Java EE application container upon deployment. After the library has been registered, you can deploy Enterprise Applications that reference the library. Each referencing application receives a reference to the required library module(s) on deployment, and can use those modules as if they were packaged as part of the referencing application itself. The shared library classes are added to the classpath of the referencing application, and the referencing application's deployment descriptors are merged (in memory) with those of the Java EE library modules
After you install a Java EE library, its name is always followed by a
version of the form
(Specification@Implementation)
, where
Specification
identifies the version number of
the specification (for example, the Java EE specification version) to
which a library or package conforms and
Implementation
Identifies the version number of
the actual code implementation for the library or package. This
versioning of Java EE libraries enables referencing applications to
specify a required minimum version of the library to use, or an exact,
required version.
Although not required, Oracle recommends that you package and deploy Java EE libraries as part of an Enterprise application for both production and development purposes.
The following links provide information about the tasks you can perform for Java EE libraries using the Administration Console:
For detailed information about creating Java EE libraries, see Creating Shared Java EE Libraries and Optional Packages
For detailed information about deploying Java EE libraries, see Deploying Applications to Oracle WebLogic Server.