JEP 491 Backport

[Ron Pressler]

> On 11 Nov 2024, at 19:17, Brandon Burchett <brandon.burchett at globalstar.com> wrote:
> 
> Will JEP 491 be backported to JDK 21/22/23?
> 
> Would be nice if it was backported to at least LTS JDK 21.
> 

LTS updates are a relatively new form of release train that was added to the JDK for those who specifically *don’t* want new features and performance or tooling enhancements because they want stability over everything else (typically because they’re running legacy applications that aren’t under very active maintenance). To offer them that, we must backport as little as possible, usually security patches and fixes only to the most critical bugs. 

Those who want enhancements should use the current JDK — the “tip” — which offers backward-compatible upgrades with new features and enhancements.

Backporting enhancements to releases that people choose because they *don’t* want any enhancements doesn’t make sense.

— Ron