Can you explain how OSGi supports the concept of modularity in Java development?
OSGi, or Open Services Gateway initiative, is a Java framework that promotes modularity. It achieves this by allowing applications to be divided into smaller, reusable components known as bundles. Each bundle is a tightly-coupled, dynamically-loadable collection of classes, jars, and configuration files that explicitly declare their external dependencies.
The OSGi runtime environment manages these bundles, handling the lifecycle operations like installation, starting, stopping, updating, and uninstalling. This dynamic nature allows for hot deployment and versioning, where different versions of a bundle can coexist, enhancing flexibility in development.
Moreover, OSGi enforces strict encapsulation at the module level, not just class level. Bundles expose services via well-defined interfaces, hiding implementation details from other bundles, thus promoting loose coupling and high cohesion.
