Changes expected in the Java8 Kit

A spokesman for Oracle cited platform fragmentation and license issues as issues which lead to the dropping of Stripped Implementations feature of Java8.  This particular feature had the potential to cause serious fragmentation issues and prevent licensing from happening seamlessly.  The initial decision by Oracle was to let some or more bugs stay on in the Java 8 program so that its release and the project stayed on schedule.

Stripped Implementations would mean the specific parts of the Java Se packaged with the library and application code on which it runs would be enabled. Elements that are not dependent on code could be left out entirely or left in part, in the SE package.

Java programming is integral to web technology and many of the programs are powered by this software – leaving out Stripped Implementations increases fragmentation risks in Java.  Guarding against such a scenario and being able to preserve compatibility will require a few changes to the Technology Compatibility Kit – these could be significant.  Mark Reinhold, the head architect of the Java Platform Group made this statement in an email post to a JDK group.  TCK is generally used to test compliance and other levels with for official Java related specifications.  Java SE8 is the building block and basis for the Java Development Kit, which will be released on March 18^th.

Reinhold said that he had been working with the legal department at Oracle on the revisions for a while.  An initial draft is already in place, but it looks like there won’t be enough time for the members of the Expert Group, Java Community Process members, the Executive Committee or any other interested parties to review or even comment on the changes.  He proposed dropping the Stripped Implementations feature from Java SE8 to save time and avoid potential issues.  This version could be very relevant and helpful to those developers who work with embedded applications. 

What else to expect:

Of all the new features that are a part of the Java SE8, Stripped Implementations is not as important as Project Lambda.  This new feature is supposed to lead to improved multicore Java programming and has dominated every conversation.  According to analyst Michael Cote of 451 Research, stripping allows programmers to carve down the JDK/Java Runtime Environment to just what one needs for a particular machine instead of taking and using all of Java.  Stripped Implementations is still expected to help developers to produce non-standard Java implementations, which is not the intent as far as Java is concerned. 

Reinhold is still strongly in favor of Stripped Implementations, saying that this feature is important to the future of the Java platform.  Once Java SE8 is released, the team will look at and find ways to add this feature back to the Java SE9 version.  As of now, JDK8 is being released on March 18^th, even with all the issues and bugs as a part of the package.

Carrie miller works at Zealous System which is a renowned web development company in India that specializing in Java application development Services. The company represents an one-stop solution for fulfilling client requirements by leveraging the power of Java technologies in creating modern applications.