What are transient dependencies?

Question

I am studying the bnd introduction, and it says: 'The advantage of Java was that it had found an elegant solution to the scourge of transient dependencies: Java interfaces.'

I also found the following quote:

in the book 'Professional Java for Web Applications', but is there a simpler explanation for transient dependencies that this?

Answer 1

It's not a thing. They meant 'transitive'.

The problem is that 'transitive' and 'transient' sound similar, and when referring to 'a dependency of a dependency', both adjectives do make some degree of sense.

'Transient' means 'impermanent', and you could argue that a dependency of my dependency is impermanent for me because it will only exist for as long as my dependency depends upon it. But no one is arguing that.

The two sources of yours meant 'transitive dependency'. In section 1.1.2 of your first link, they even use both terms interchangeably.

As a general rule, just because something's published in a book, don't assume it's automatically correct!

Answer 2

It's a dependency that you get through another dependency. If you depend on A, and A depend on B you have a transient dependency on B.