RFC: JEP JDK-8208089: Implement C++14 Language Features

[Kim Barrett]

> On Nov 19, 2018, at 2:04 AM, Kim Barrett <kim.barrett at oracle.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 1:31 AM, David Holmes <david.holmes at oracle.com> wrote:
>> I think it is important that all the port owners buy into this.
> 
> At least one port (aix_ppc) presently seems to have no way to support this change, because
> the compiler being used is seriously deficient and appears to be languishing.  (It doesn’t even
> support C++11, let alone C++14.)  I think the community could (and in my opinion, should)
> chose to move ahead despite that.  If a new and adequate compiler is expected “soon” then
> the community might choose to wait, or might proceed and let that port languish until the new
> compiler is available.  I think that’s all part of the discussion that should happen around the
> targeting of this JEP.  I hope this inadequate compiler on a relatively niche platform won’t be
> an indefinite blocker in this area.

Here’s what Volker said on the build-dev list, 2017-07-19, subject “C++11/C++14 support in XLC ?”

<begin quote>
- SAP is currently maintaining the AIX port in the OpenJDK and we're
willing to do that in the future. But we're not IBM and we can not
decide about the XLC feature list. If Oracle and the OpenJDK community
finally decide to use C++11/14 features which are not available in XLC
we have to live with that. We can either escalate the XLC deficiencies
to IBM and suspend the port until the compiler gets fixed. Or we can
switch the port to use the GCC tool chain with all the pros (bigger
compatibility with Linux platforms) and cons (porting effort, testing,
compatibility with other AIX software compiled with XLC, compiler
support). While the GCC alternative sounds very appealing at a first
glance it really isn't that perfect in reality, especially not for our
commercial SAP JVM version of OpenJDK. One problem is the fact that
there's no official support for GCC on AIX, the other is
compatibility. Just think you had to replace Solaris Studio by GCC on
Solaris :)
<end quote>

He had more to say on the general topic at the time.  I don’t know if anything
has changed in the intervening nearly 1 1/2 years.