[eclipse-dev] Early access builds with Java 8 support available.

[Srikanth S Adayapalam <srikanth_sankaran@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello !

The Eclipse JDT/Core team is pleased
to announce the availability of early access builds
with support enabled for the following
Java 8 features.

What work is complete and ready to be
tested ? 
-----------------------------------------------------------

    - JSR308 - Type Annotations.
    - JEP120 - Repeating Annotations.
    - JEP118 - Method Parameter
Reflection.
    - JSR269 - Pluggable Annotation
Processor API & javax.lang.model API enhancements for Java 8.
    - Support for - Code completion,
code selection/navigation, search engine for all of the above
    - Code formatter and code
reconciler (instant feedback with error/warnings as you type) for all of
Java 8.
    - IDE enablement support
(AST API's, programmatic AST rewriting API support etc) for all of Java
8.
    - JSR308 type annotations
based static null analysis (substantially complete, open issues exist)
  
    - Support for non-abstract
interface methods (default & static methods from JSR335)

We also announce partial support for:

    - JSR335 - Except as relates
to overload resolution and type inference. (Significant gaps exist in these

       two areas,
see below)
      
What work remains:
------------------------

The major pieces that are still under
development and so are NOT a part of early access release are:

    - JSR335 - Overload resolution
support and type inference support.
    - Full fledged IDE enablement
for Java 8.
    - Full fledged debugger
support for Java 8.

On JSR335, until the last week of Sep
2013, we were blocked by several issues due to incomplete 
specification of Part G (Type Inference).
Our representatives in the JSR 335 expert group are working 
with the specification lead and other
experts to get these issues sorted out and clarified. We are 
proceeding on the basis of clarifications
we have received for our questions regarding the missing parts 
and the much more complete draft made
available to us circa last week of Sep 2013. 

Work on overload resolution and type
inference and their constituent sub-projects are in various stages 
of evolution in the contributor's private
branches. These are not yet ready for public consumption and are 
so not included in the present early
access preview builds. As a result, even some basic scenarios in 
JSR335 that require overload resolution
to be wired in or type inference to be wired in may not 
work well at the moment. We are working
to remedy this situation soon.

Likewise, the projects to fully support
Java 8 in the IDE and the debugger are progressing swiftly. We expect to

refresh the early access binaries once
these pieces are cooked and ready to test allowing developers sufficient

time to try out the early access versions
and report back issues and have them addressed well in time for the GA

release in March 2014.

Thanks for your patience.

Terms & Conditions:
-------------------------

Please be advised that these downloads
are offered under these terms in addition to the usual
Eclipse SDK download/license terms:

"This is an implementation of an
early-draft specification developed under the Java
Community Process (JCP) and is made
available for testing and evaluation purposes
only. The code is not compatible with
any specification of the JCP."

We advise that this early access version
be used only in a test/evaluation mode and not
in a development environment.

How to get hold of the early access
binaries ?
--------------------------------------------------------

We recommend that you start with a clean
install of

    - Either 4.3.1 or 4.4
M2 SDK
    - Update the JDT/Core,
JDT/UI bundles from  http://dist.springsource.com/snapshot/TOOLS/java8/e43
      This update site
is set up to periodically rebuild and package the relevant projects from
the top of the
      BETA_JAVA8 development
branch.
 
Defect reports should go to: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/enter_bug.cgi?product=JDT.
At this time, we welcome 
defects in all areas acknowledged as
complete. It is not useful to receive defect reports for areas called out
as
not wired in.

Acknowledgments
----------------------

The Eclipse team would like to place
on record our sincere appreciation and thanks to the following individuals

who went above and beyond the call of
duty to roll up their sleeves and contribute handsomely to meeting this

significant milestone. This has been
a truly global, truly open source effort:

    - Stephan Herrmann
        - Default
methods support,
        - Method
contract verification work.
        - On going
type inference work
        - Type annotation
walker abstraction.
       - JSR308
annotations based null analysis.
       - Active
involvement /consultation in various other tasks.
    
    - Olivier Thomann:
      - Original support
for type annotations code generation from the Java SE7 days.
      - Ongoing consultations,
monitoring mailing lists, patches etc.
   
    - Jesper Moller:
        - Various
pieces in JSR 335 semantic analysis.
        - Foundation
work for JSR335 code generation.
        - Java 8
code formatter support,
        - JEP 118
- Parameter reflection support
        - JEP 120
- repeating annotations support.

  - Andrew Clement
        - Dusting
up and reviving Olivier's original work on 308 code generation and bringing
it up to date
          with
respect to the numerous specification changes in 3+ years.
       - Type annotations
retrieval from class files.
       - Maintaining
an update site for early access users.
       - Various
bug fixes.

    - Walter Harley:
        - Consultations
for the JSR269/APT enhancement work.

    - Steve Francisco
        - For ongoing
support on the administrative side of things.

Thanks!
JDT/Core team.