title: java assert without exception
body: <p>We have some java code that we would ideally like to run in three ways:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Throw an exception when an <code>assert</code> fails</li>
  <li>Print a stack trace, but otherwise continue when an <code>assert</code> fails</li>
  <li>Ignore an <code>assert</code></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>This is to be run in three different environments (development, testing, production, respectively).  We can switch between the first and last by using the <code>-ea</code> JVM option, but is it possible to do the second?</p>
  
  <p>Thanks.</p>
  
  <p>EDIT: we already have assert statements everywhere.  we prefer to change this option at run-time without changing our code.</p>