Updated conformance text for Java SE 9

[mark.reinhold at oracle.com]

2017/7/25 6:48:26 -0700, Simon Ritter <sritter at azul.com>:
> Mark,
> thanks for the revised and expanded text.  I think this clarifies things 
> clearly in respect of how a runtime generated using jlink (or a similar 
> tool) conforms to the specification.
> 
> There's a still a few things that I'd like to clarify further.
> 
> "The Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) for this Specification will be 
> able to test all of the Java SE modules included in an Implementation, 
> and it will require that set to be closed." Presumably, it is not 
> necessary to run the TCK on all possible combinations of modules to 
> determine which are closed (and therefore in conformance) and which are 
> not.

Correct.  If the set of Java SE modules in an Implementation is not
closed then the Implementation won't even start, never mind pass the
TCK.  (Or, if it does start then its module system is severely broken,
and no configuration of it will pass the TCK anyway.)

> How do we verify that the output from a jlink-like command is in 
> conformance?  Is there some test or tests that can be run on jlink (or 
> similar) to guarantee that it can only produce conformant runtime 
> distributions?

Um, no.  That would require the ability to solve the halting problem.

>                 Alternatively, will there be some test tool that can be 
> used on the output of jlink to verify that the Java SE modules included 
> are closed?

You can verify the output of `jlink`, or a similar tool, by running the
TCK on that output.  In principle every possible output of such a tool
must pass the TCK, but (obviously) that's not a testable assertion.

> "This Specification defines the Licensor Name Space on a 
> module-by-module basis.  Provided that an Implementation that fully 
> implements this Specification includes the required Licensor Name Space 
> for each included module then it is not considered to subset the 
> Licensor Name Space."  The way I interpret this, it means that any jlink 
> produced runtime that includes a closed set of Java SE modules, each of 
> which conforms to the Licensor Name Space, will be deemed to be a 
> conformant implementation of the Java SE 9 specification.

No, for (at least) two reasons.

First, the entire set of Java SE modules that the runtime includes must
be closed.  That's a different, and stronger, statement than "the runtime
includes a closed set."

Second, if each Java SE module in a runtime includes the Licensor Name
Space for that module then you can conclude only that the runtime as a
whole does not subset the Licensor Name Space.  That's a necessary, but
not sufficient, condition to claim conformance of a linked runtime.
The Implementation that was used to create that runtime must itself be
conformant, which requires (among other things) that it pass the TCK and
that its linking tool ensures that any linked runtime satisfies all of
the constraints laid out in the Specification, per the paragraph that
follows the paragraph that you quoted.

>                                                           Any user of 
> such a Java runtime will, therefore, be granted the IP rights as defined 
> by the JSPA (Section 5.B).  Is that correct?

No, per the above.

The intent here is that if an Implementation provides the means to create
further Implementations, subject to the constraints of the Specification,
then any user of such a derived Implementation will be granted the
necessary IP rights.  Your summary of the required conditions, however,
is incomplete.

- Mark