RFR: JDK-8200083: Bump bootjdk requirement for JDK 11 to JDK 10

[Erik Joelsson]

Please note that it's not just language features, I would say it's more 
about library APIs that jdk.compiler uses. The most obvious such change 
in the past is the modules API. In JDK 9, we had to keep the 
jdk.compiler modules (with friends) compatible with both a pre modules 
and post modules environment. Being able to scrap all those extra 
workarounds (reflective access, duplicate implementations, filtered 
classes at compile time etc) already in 10 made development and 
maintenance of that source much simpler.

I agree that OpenJDK is mainly for users, but my view of users is mainly 
the people using OpenJDK, not the ones building it. Sure, it is an open 
source project and as such a user is free to download and build from 
source on their own. However, the vast majority is downloading prebuilt 
binaries. Given that, I see the main conflict in this case rather being 
between OpenJDK developers and the package maintainers/distributors who 
regularly have to build it.

I don't really think it's fair that the OpenJDK developers should have 
to pay a heavy development and maintenance tax just to make it a little 
bit more convenient to build the product from source.

/Erik


On 2018-03-23 19:13, John Paul Adrian Glaubitz wrote:
> On 03/24/2018 01:07 AM, Magnus Ihse Bursie wrote:
>> But if javac developers are seriously hindered in their effort to enhance Java due to this, then maybe developer convenience is not as important.
> But is using the latest Java features really so important for OpenJDK
> development? I mean, do people seriously say "Oh, we have type inference
> for variables now. We have to use it immediately, it's making the code so
> much better and faster!!!" (sorry, couldn't resist the hyperbole).
>
> I mean, in the end, OpenJDK is developed for users and not for the OpenJDK
> developers sake to use Java, isn't it? So, I think the project should always
> keep users and downstream interests in mind.
>
> Adrian
>