FYI, planning to drop support for -source/-target/--release 7 from javac in JDK 20

[Remi Forax]

----- Original Message -----
> From: "joe darcy" <joe.darcy at oracle.com>
> To: "jdk-dev" <jdk-dev at openjdk.java.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2022 2:20:42 AM
> Subject: FYI, planning to drop support for -source/-target/--release 7 from javac in JDK 20

> Hello,

Hi Joe,

> 
> JDK 7 was released in July 2011, over one decade ago. Per the general
> sentiment, but not exact wording, of JEP 182
> (https://openjdk.org/jeps/182), this is about the expected support time
> frame for an argument to javac's -source/-target/--release options in
> subsequent releases. [1]
> 
> Therefore, in JDK 20, I think it is time for javac to drop support for
> -source/-target/--release 7. All other supported values would remain as
> such in JDK 20, 8 through 20 inclusive, and there is no implied changes
> to support for 7 in other release trains.

The only problem i see is that the compiler plugin of Maven still use 1.7 as default.
I don't think it's a blocking issue given that Maven and its core plugins are updated regularly. 

In term of process, in the future, i would hope such discussion to occur for the release after a LTS, so the ecosystem has a bigger window to updade all the tools.
In this instance, i believe we should have done this change earlier, for JDK 18.

> 
> PR for the proposed changes:
> 
>     https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/pull/10074
> 
> -Joe

Rémi

> 
> [1] Updating JEP 182 to formally account for the six-month release model
> remains as future work.