Proposed implementation of JEP 182 in JDK 11: drop javac support for -source/-target/--release 6

[Remi Forax]

Many thanks Joe to have taken our feedback into account.

Remi


On May 15, 2018 11:51:19 PM UTC, "Joseph D. Darcy" <joe.darcy at oracle.com> wrote:
>Hello,
>
>Based on the feedback on this thread and elsewhere, I've targeted
>
>   JDK-8028563: Remove javac support for 6/1.6 source and target values
>     JDK-8173606: Deprecate constructors of 7-era visitors
>
>to JDK 12.
>
>Thanks,
>
>-Joe
>
>On 5/10/2018 10:56 AM, joe darcy wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> As background, JEP 182 "Policy for Retiring javac -source and -target
>
>> Options" (http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/182) puts forth a "one plus 
>> three back" policy for the supported range of -source and -target 
>> arguments to javac. (As of JDK 9, a matching range of arguments is 
>> supported for the --release option.)
>>
>> This policy was formulated under the old release model before the six
>
>> month release cadence.
>>
>> Under this policy, support for the 5/1.5 argument was removed in JDK 
>> 9. JDK 10 added support for a 10 argument and retained all the older 
>> values that were supported under JDK 9.
>>
>> JDK 6 first shipped at the end of 2006, which will be nearly 12 years
>
>> before the planned JDK 11 GA date. JDK 7 first shipped in 2011.
>>
>> Given the age of JDK 6, I think it is reasonable in 2018 for JDK 11
>to 
>> drop support for -source/-target/--release 1.6/6, leaving support for
>
>> 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. This provides support for four rather than three
>
>> older versions in JDK 11, but better matches the time span of
>releases 
>> discussed in the JEP.
>>
>> Future code reviews of the implementation of this removal and related
>
>> work
>>
>>     JDK-8028563: Remove javac support for 6/1.6 source and target
>values
>>     JDK-8173606: Deprecate constructors of 7-era visitors
>>
>> would take place on compiler-dev.
>>
>> Comments?
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> -Joe
>>

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