Summary of new features in JavaFX 8?

[John Smith]

Here is a link to the current jira generated release notes for JavaFX 8 (it's a humongous list).

https://javafx-jira.kenai.com/secure/ReleaseNote.jspa?projectId=10040&version=10380

The majority of stuff in the jira generated release notes is implemented, but some is not and will probably be moved to a future release.

In terms of the terminology used, I think a feature is major new functionality usually called out on a product requirements document somewhere and a tweak (of which there are hundreds) is a minor feature (though I don't think it's a hard and fast rule and a little arbitrary - some features are pretty minor and some tweaks are pretty important).

Some major features missing from your list Felix:
  multi-threaded performance improvements 
  right -> left language support
  HiDPI display support (though that might also be in some upcoming Java 2.2 release)
  swing components in JavaFX
  increased support for new w3c standards in WebView (e.g. websockets)
  @font-face support in css (I guess this one might be termed a tweak)
  ATI/AMD GPU acceleration on Linux

I think there is also an intention for an official embedded release for Java 8 that will include JavaFX in the new compact profile setup.

From a developer point of view, I think the big news is open sourcing (except for the media and browser plugin components) along with the new repository layout and relatively simple gradle build process - so potentially JavaFX can now be included in OpenJDK and custom JDK builds, not just Oracle JDK builds.

My favorite feature of all time is that with Java 8, JavaFX is properly bundled into Oracle Java and on the default class path.   So I don't have to keep explaining to people how to get JavaFX to run in their environment.  Hopefully, all of the standard OpenJDK 8 builds and distributions will follow Oracle's lead here and correctly bundle JavaFX into their distributions.

----------

Here is a result of a jira query on fixed features for JavaFX 8.

RT-30831	
Unsorted mode in the SortedList
RT-30236	
Open WebView sources
RT-29848	
Add a static GridPane.setFillWidth(Node, boolean) method
RT-29834	
Move JSObject into javafx-ui-common
RT-28817	
Add explicit dispose() method to MediaPlayer
RT-28499	
WebView doesnot support HTML5 <input type=file multiple
RT-28089	
Write Script to auto-generate the new repository layout
RT-27887	
introduce a node to embed Swing into JavaFX
RT-27633	
Add missing FXCollections methods for ObservableSet
RT-27582	
New modern theme for JavaFX (Modena)
RT-27480	
Add DatePicker control
RT-26377	
Implement SubScene
RT-25996	
"Primitive"Property to ObjectProperty<Primitive>
RT-25759	
ObjectExpression does not have asString() method
RT-25644	
Implement WebSocket traffic tunneling through HTTP(S) proxies that require authentication
RT-25606	
Port 3D features from demo/experimental repository to FX 8 3D sandbox
RT-25559	
In FXML, Allow event handlers to come from the namespace
RT-24712	
Support ATI/AMD GPU on the Linux platform
RT-24655	
Need to support movable Camera
RT-24654	
Need to include lighting and material support for 3D primitives rendering
RT-24651	
Need clean semantic for 2D/3D scenes mixing
RT-24648	
Define supported Linux configurations
RT-24644	
Support Mesh and Predefined 3D Shapes
RT-24506	
Public API for Region backgrounds and borders
RT-24041	
SQE: Hi-DPI display support
RT-24014	
FX needs to support a subset of the JRE supported systems
RT-24013	
Multi-Core scalability
RT-24012	
Text performance of the hardware pipeline must be equal or better than the software pipeline
RT-24009	
Support for Hi-DPI displays
RT-24008	
3D attributes
RT-23911	
SQE: Allow 3D shapes
RT-23909	
SQE: 3D attributes
RT-23908	
SQE: Video capture support
RT-23907	
SQE: Improve HTML 5 API and tags support
RT-23904	
SQE: Tree table control
RT-23903	
SQE: Public API for CSS Structure
RT-23901	
SQE: Enable component orientation
RT-23898	
SQE: Printing support
RT-23897	
SQE: Support bi-directional text
RT-23896	
SQE:Provide support for complex characters
RT-23895	
SQE: i10N: Java FX must be localized in all the different languages as supported by the JRE.
RT-23894	
SQE: Multi-line rich text support
RT-23893	
SQE: i18N: Java FX must support internationalization
RT-23600	
ObservableListBase
RT-23075	
Support complex characters in controls
RT-23074	
Support bi-directional text in controls
RT-22913	
Implement and enable accelerated compositing to improve WebView rendering performance
RT-22153	
Allow setting custom user-agent
RT-21709	
Consider making available the CSS Styleable* classes as public API
RT-21683	
Allow to change line-to-line spacing
RT-21536	
Create tests for Popup Window hide event consuming behavior
RT-21499	
Add WebView.scale property
RT-21487	
Add isEmpty() and length() methods to StringExpression
RT-21355	
Support user-defined pseudoclasses
RT-20906	
Support setting min/pref/max sizes via css
RT-20708	
Provide debugging and/or error condition feedback mechanism in high-level binding routines
RT-20653	
Implement synchronized ObservableMap and synchronized ObservableSet
RT-20048	
Add tests for different constructors of DropShadow
RT-20039	
Add tests for font loading using font name
RT-19838	
Add automated test for ImageCursor
RT-19834	
The solid white background created in a Stage should be created - if needed - in the Scenegraph
RT-19821	
Need private API to allow discovery of installed listeners on properties for testing
RT-19451	
TableView: Displaying hierarchical groups and data
RT-19049	
Support standard Java Beans in SelectBinding
RT-19040	
Add native font rasterization for Mac
RT-19020	
Default conversion from ObservableObjectValue<Integer> to ObservableIntegerValue etc.
RT-18804	
Add emptyObservableSet and emptyObservableMap in FXCollections
RT-18400	
Support cross build for Linux embedded
RT-18149	
Integrate ICU library for opentype layout
RT-18024	
Evaluate TODOs in code, either removing or filing issues as appropriate
RT-17942	
Provide Affine class with matrix manipulation methods (multiply, premultipy, negate, etc.)
RT-17666	
Webview and HTMLEditor should support printing their content
RT-17663	
Define javafx printing APIs
RT-17645	
Make Image class support exceptions for both asynchronous and synchronous loading
RT-17411	
Complex text with BiDi support
RT-17401	
3D geometry support
RT-17392	
Multi-line, multi-style, rich text support
RT-17383	
Printing
RT-17288	
Add a TreeTable
RT-17053	
Reintroduce SortedList/FilteredList and TransformationList
RT-16689	
TextInputControl: css "-fx-columns" doesn't work
RT-16472	
insets should be a real property on Region
RT-16395	
Support object oriented approach to styling UI components
RT-16288	
Add a TextField.setFont method
RT-16201	
Creating an image icon only button should be able to specify the padding of the button via the api and not just through using CSS.
RT-16111	
FileChooser: Need to be able to specify initial file name in save dialog
RT-15332	
Allow application to catch exceptions thrown by FX application thread with an UncaughtExceptionHandler
RT-15109	
ListChangeListener$Change.toString() is not implemented
RT-14947	
websockets not working in WebEngine
RT-14730	
Drag and drop needs support for drag view
RT-12723	
Ability to Render a Node in an another Node (NodeView)
RT-12100	
Swing components inside JavaFX
RT-11561	
Some cursor images are incorrect on Windows, Linux and Mac
RT-10343	
CSS add support for CSS3 @font-face
RT-9782	
Workers API is incomplete
RT-9411	
Define internal API for styled text
RT-9383	
Add proper constructors & factory methods to event classes, remove impl
RT-9372	
Add Back-face Culling support to JavaFX
RT-3518	
multiline multistyle text node
RT-3290	
need utility methods for converting to/from screen coordinates
RT-138	
Support component orientation in common UI controls



On Aug 16, 2013, at 7:50 PM, Felix Bembrick <felix.bembrick at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am preparing another blog about JavaFX and would like to know what
> changes and enhancements there are in JavaFX between JDK7 and JDK8.
> 
> For me the most obvious one is the entire 3D functionality but would it be
> possible for someone from Oracle or another person in the know to list the
> major changes and (especially) enhancements/new features we can expect in
> JFX8?
> 
> Alternatively, if there is either a web page that lists them or some way
> for me to establish this info myself could you please point me there?
> 
> These are the ones I can find for myself:
> 
> * 3D
> * Rich Text
> * Modena theme
> * Embedded support
> * HTML5 improvements
> * New controls (TreeTableView, DatePicker)?
> 
> Have I missed anything?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Felix