<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div>The key of "Tip & Tail" is that tail trains only get "critical bug fixes and security patches", though "there may be exceptions". So, how do you know what's a bug vs. a feature? A bug fix vs. a critical bug fix? And how do you know if a library follows "Tip & Tail"?</div><div><br></div><div>Take JDK 22.0.1: <a href="https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/22-0-1-relnotes.html">https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/22-0-1-relnotes.html</a> This tail release contains time zone updates.</div><div><br></div><div>You could say these time zone updates mix features & bug fixes: Rules & laws change, such as "Kazakhstan unifies on UTC+5", and the time zone data changes then accordingly as a new feature. You could also say "Kazakhstan unifies on UTC+5" is a bug: The time zone data must be in sync with the world. And if the world changes, it's not anymore, and that's a bug.</div><div><br></div><div>But even if you say this is a feature, you could say it's a worthy exception: You want Java to show the right time.</div><div><br></div><div>Now, only critical bug fixes are supposed to go into tail trains. But the time zone update contains this fix: "localtime no longer mishandles Ciudad Juárez in 2422". The year is not a typo. Two thoughts.</div><div><br></div><div>First, somebody decided that fixing a problem 400 years away was a critical bug fix in 2022. You know, instead of 399 years away next year or so.</div><div><br></div><div>Second, worrying about a time zone problem 400 years away shows a refreshingly optimistic view of software, mankind, and time. After all, cockroaches don't wear watches - today, that is.</div><div><br></div><div>So, do the JEP authors have any guidance on "bug vs. a feature" and "bug fix vs. critical bug fix"?</div><div><br></div><div>Next: How will you know if a Java library follows "Tip & Tail"? Will you see it on Maven Central? If so, could we please also get the supported Java version there? </div><div><br></div><div>Or will it be a GitHub badge? Not sure the Duke makes for a great badge: That fella is all tip and no tail. </div><div><br></div><div>Or will there be a community repository of "Tip & Tail" libraries, like the GraalVM Reachability Metadata Repository (<a href="https://github.com/oracle/graalvm-reachability-metadata">https://github.com/oracle/graalvm-reachability-metadata</a>)?</div><div><br></div><div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; display: inline !important; float: none;">Regards,</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; display: inline !important; float: none;">Karsten Silz</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><br></div></body></html>