Any way to use ijar?

Somewhat open-ended.

As noted in jvm_import.bzl, this project removes the use of ijar, which is specific to Java compilation (not Kotlin, not Scala).

To name Scala as an example, higherkindness/rules_scala suggests `java_import` for typical library JARs and `scala_import` for JARs that contain macros, @inline annotations, or other cases incompatible with ijar.

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For external imports I currently use bazel-deps. I have a handful of custom lines to loop over the Python data structure it provides, selecting java_import (95%) or scala_import (5%) by referencing a whitelist of libraries.

This way I can still use ijar a maximal amount. Though non-interface changes from maven JARs are likely a rare occurrence, it is nice to reduce file size for dozens/hundreds of JARs for remote execution, I think.

Or maybe I am overthinking it? Are there in fact reasons why it would still be best to use ijar even for external dependencies?

Start by reading jvm_import.bzl and comparing the issue's use of java_import and scala_import with the external-import flow from bazel-deps. Determine whether the project can support ijar for external dependencies and document or define the required behavior; completion should resolve the trade-offs and give users a clear supported approach.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.