Welcome to Amber!

[Brian Goetz]

Welcome to Project Amber, our incubation ground for selected 
productivity-oriented Java language JEPs.

## SCOPE

Somewhat circularly, the scope for Project Amber is: 
productivity-oriented language JEPs that have been adopted by Project 
Amber.  To be considered for adoption by Project Amber, a feature should 
first be described by a JEP [1].  This means that this is not the place 
for discussing random language feature ideas (the whole rest of the 
internet is still available for that); let's keep the focus on the 
specific features that have been adopted.

To get things started, the following JEPs are hereby adopted by Project 
Amber:

   - JEP 286: Local Variable Type Inference 
(http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/286)
   - JEP 301: Enhanced Enums (http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/301)
   - JEP 302: Lambda Leftovers (http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/302 
<http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/301>)

In addition, the "data classes" and "pattern matching" features, already 
discussed publicly [2] are intended to be adopted by Amber when we're 
ready to propose JEPs on them.

## LISTS

Like Lambda and Valhalla, Amber will have the usual coterie of mailing 
lists:

  - amber-dev -- for discussing or contributing to the implementation of 
the Amber features, and to report user experience with the prototype.
  - amber-spec-experts -- for Expert Group discussions of the design and 
specification of the Amber features.  Traffic from spec-experts is 
automatically forwarded to spec-observers.
  - amber-spec-observers -- for public discussion of the design and 
specification.
  - amber-spec-comments -- the "suggestion box".

The primary means for providing feedback on the design and specification 
to the Expert Group is the -comments list.  Posting to -comments 
should be complete, self-contained, well-reasoned, and 
focused on a single issue.  Postings to -comments 
are archived, and their content (if appropriate) will eventually show up on the EG list 
for discussion.  (Note that -comments *cannot* be subscribed to; only 
posted to.  The reason 
is simple; having discussions on this list, which is inevitable were it subscribable, would defeat the purpose.)

## REPO

The Amber repo is here: http://hg.openjdk.java.net/amber/amber/, based 
on the jdk10 repo.

Since there are multiple projects here, we'll be doing most of our work 
in branches.  The default branch will be synced to jdk10; we won't be 
committing directly to this branch.  (This is the same methodology as 
used by the "sandbox" repo.)

## EXPERT GROUP

The initial Expert Group will consist of the initial committers and 
reviewers of the Project [3], as well as: Doug Lea, Kevin Bourrillion, 
Remi Forax, Andrey Breslav, and Dan Heidinga.

Nominations (including self nominations) for the Expert Group should be 
sent to the Project Lead (me).  Nominees should have a demonstrated 
track record in contributing to Java platform evolution and specification.

## SCHEDULES

This one is easy; there are no schedules.  None of these features are 
currently targeted at any specific version of the Java platform; when 
ready, they will be proposed for targeting via the JEP process.


[1] http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/1
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGll155-vuQ
[3] http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/discuss/2017-January/004099.html