is ClassLoader.loadClass() supposed to work on module-info classes?

[Peter Levart]

On 12/04/2015 09:41 AM, Alan Bateman wrote:
>
> On 04/12/2015 08:22, Cédric Champeau wrote:
>> Obviously compiling a single JDK 9 module-info file seems
>> pretty cheap, but if you think about the fact that you will want to 
>> have a
>> JDK 8 installed to compile your classes, plus a JDK 9 Jigsaw 
>> installed to
>> compile the descriptor, and then add that you have to fork the 
>> compilers,
>> the cost of this operation is visible both in terms of infrastructure 
>> and
>> build time.
> One thing to keep in mind is JEP 247 and the new javac -release 
> option. Yes, a big change from today's world where the older JDK is 
> used to build but it opens up the possibility for these more 
> complicated builds to have only one JDK on the build system. There's a 
> connection to the multi-release JAR proposal in JEP 238 too.
>
> -Alan

Just a related question:

Do you expect the class file format to change in JDK9 and for what 
features? If it is only for supporting the module-info.class then would 
something like the following be possible:

     javac -source 9 -target 8 -mp modlib ...

...and produce JDK8 compatible class files + JDK9 compatible 
module-info.class file(s) ?


Regards, Peter