Commons-Attributes vs annotations in Java 5.0

Q: How does Commons-Attributes fit in with the annotations in Java 5.0?

A: With annotations we'll finally have a standard API for metadata in Java. The downside is that we have to switch to Java 5.0. Since people even now are still stuck with Java 1.2 and Java 1.3, it may be a while before a project can require 5.0 and still have a reasonably-sized audience and/or usefulness.

This is where Commons-Attributes comes in.

Ultimately this s a choice you must make based on your own preconditions, but this is my advice: You should switch to 5.0 if you can, given stability, compatibility et cetera. After all, it is the standard that people will use when it becomes the standard (which it will). However, if you foresee that you'll stick with 1.4 or earlier and you think that metadata is the most cost-effective way of solving your problem, then you should definitely take a closer look at Commons-Attributes.