Re: [jdt-dev] RFC - Withdrawing compiler support for older versions of J

[Aleksandar Kurtakov <akurtako@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Mar 28, 2024 at 3:23 PM Timothy Spear via jdt-dev <jdt-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I mostly work in the FinTech space. So cyber security is a significant concern; which means not being able to use a Java which is EOL.

I am not sure what is the correct metric, maybe support one release past EOL.... With this in mind, I would rather see some sort of policy/guideline instead of approaching it on an ad-hoc basis.

https://openjdk.org/jeps/182 can serve as such a policy.

 

Tim

On Thu, Mar 28, 2024 at 6:25 AM Sankaran, Srikanth via jdt-dev <jdt-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hello!

 

Greetings.

 

I am a committer on the JDT/Core project – specifically focussed on the Eclipse Compiler for Java.

 

1. I invite comments and objections with justifications to a hypothetical removal of support

for compiling “ancient” Java code using the latest versions of ECJ or Eclipse IDE/SDK.

 

Presently, using  window/project preferences, you can configure the compiler to use

ancient versions of Java for

 

1. Compiler compliance level : Currently supports all the way back to 1.3
2. Source compatibility: Currently supports all the way back to 1.3
3. Generated .class file compatibility : Currently supports all the way back to 1.1 and CLDC 1.1

 

Eclipse compiler code can be modernized quite a bit by dropping support for ancient versions.

By reducing code clutter, we can also bring down the maintenance burden and flatten the learning curve.

Testing cycles will also come down. Currently when a JDT committer runs tests locally, tests are run at all

supported levels.

 

As a comparison, javac from JDK22 does not support source levels below 8. I am proposing we do the same.

 

2. Independently, I would also like to hear comments/objections with justifications for removing support

for CLDC_1_1 as a target. Most folks I check with haven’t even heard of this configuration (embedded ??)

 

Past versions of Eclipse SDK/IDE and ecj.jar’s will continue to be hosted at their usual habitat. We are only talking

about newer evolving version of Eclipse/ECJ

 

Thanks!

Srikanth

 

 

_______________________________________________
jdt-dev mailing list
jdt-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe from this list, visit https://www.eclipse.org/mailman/listinfo/jdt-dev

_______________________________________________
jdt-dev mailing list
jdt-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe from this list, visit https://www.eclipse.org/mailman/listinfo/jdt-dev

--

Aleksandar Kurtakov

Red Hat Eclipse Team