JDK 7 is Feature-Complete

[Erik Trimble]

On 2/2/2011 3:15 AM, Ismael Juma wrote:
> On Wed, Feb 2, 2011 at 10:13 AM, David Holmes<David.Holmes at oracle.com>  wrote:
>>>>                               And will this also also apply to JDK6
>>>> after JDK7 was released (i.e. will one and the same HS Express version
>>>> be used in JDK6 and in JDK7 thereafter)?
>>> I expect so.  (Paul -- correct me if I'm wrong.)
>> Not sure that I understand the question but different JDK6 update releases
>> contain different HS versions. So different JDK7 update releases will also
>> contain different HS versions.
> I think the question is whether JDK6 will continue to receive new HS
> versions after JDK7 is released or whether JDK6 will enter a more
> conservative update policy once JDK7 is released.
>
> Best,
> Ismael

So far as has been decided at this point, 6Update releases will continue 
to receive new HSX releases in the same manner as it does now. I can't 
comment (i.e. don't know that it has been decided) on how the 
*frequency* of 6Update releases will be affected by the official release 
of JDK7. Even if the frequency of (6) releases drops, I would expect 
that each 6Update receive a recent HSX as it does now, not some 
withered-on-the-vine thing we keep around on life support.

Much of this derives from the desire to maintain a simpler release train 
inside Oracle; it is far simpler to use the HSX model we have now, 
porting only minor 6-related fixes into an HSX before putting it into a 
6Update release, than maintaining a whole separate HS-for-6 codebase and 
trying to port new features or significant work into that codebase. Once 
we start JDK8 development, the aforementioned will apply to 7Updates as 
well.


That said, this is NOT an official forward-looking statement of intent 
on Oracle, which of course reserves the right to change its own internal 
development model with respect to Oracle-distributed JDKs.


-- 

Erik Trimble
Java System Support
Mailstop:  usca22-123
Phone:  x17195
Santa Clara, CA