JavaOne - Java SE: Present and Future

Discussions around Java SE 6 platform, OpenJDK, Java SE on the desktop, and important upgrades. Looking at a timeline: 1996 JDK 1.0, 1997 JDK 1.1, 2002, J2SE 1.4, late 2006, Java SE 6, late 2008 Java SE 7. Over 2 million downloads of the JDK version 6 have already been conducted. That equates to about 1/3 of Java developers with an estimated 6 million Java developers. More statistics: more than 35 million downloads of the Java 6 Java runtime (JRE). In terms of desktops, 60% of new PCs will have Java SE platform.

Top 10 features of Java SE:
- Web service static. Easy access.
- Updated JDBC API's
- Co-bundled database.
- Smaller improvements to desktop API's
- Compiler access API's
- Pluggable annotations
- Improve desktop deployment. Tuned for Vista by working w/ Microsoft.
- Security (integrated with native services)
... sorry missed 2, can't type that fast.

I think tools to attach to Java SE 6 processes for debugging are built-in. Do not need to start an application with special options parameters. Need to verify this comment....

Java SE platform is now open sourced. GPLv2 license (wider distribtion, compatible innovations) with an OpenJDK community (openjdk.java.net) having an interim governance board. Board's charter is to establish an OpenJDK constitution.

Java programming language is the best general purpose language! Many other languages (dynamic languages), many other virtues for rapid prototyping and experimentation. Java SE 6 provides scripting for the Java Platform (JSR 223) including developer API's and framework API's to add script engines. Added a JavaScript technology engine in Java SE 6.

These are first steps at having other languages run on the Java VM.

Looking at the future of Java SE 7:
- Turbo-charging scripting engines
- Bundling more dynamic language engines (JRuby, Jython, Groovy, BeanShell
- Supporting beanshell
- JavaFX technology script
- Focusing on simplicity of Java (future developers don't know Java today)
- Looking at inserting annotations into Java code
- Clean "rough edges" - shorter variable declarations, strings in switch statements, Enum comparisons.

Java Technology Packages Dilemma
- Discussed sample application using API's with three packages.
- Mentioned discussions of a "superpackage" (JSR 294: Improved Modularity Support)
- Has to do with a concept of exposing or hiding packages.

Working on a major upgrade to packaging to create "jam" files rather than "jar" files. This is a draft at this time.

Information available at http://openjdk.java.net

Discussed efforts to make Swing (desktop/client) easier in Java SE 7.

Java SE 7 release is far away. Other problems to address are Java SE 6 startup time is poor, installing the JRE is slow and complicated (JRE has become large). These traits are irritating for enterprises and worse for consumers. Example, JRE 6 is now close to 12 MB. Efforts on a "consumer" JRE with a quickstarter pre-loaded into the disk cache before launch. This is not the same as having a running VM. Also, efforts to modularized the JRE software are undergoing. For example and to understand the concept, the JRE could automatically run "Hello World" but other functions of the JRE would be downloaded "on-demand".

Other Java SE 7 updates...
- JSR 203 in early draft to revamp the file system API.
- JSR 260: Javadoc tag technology update
- JSR 310: Date and Time API - Maybe simpler???

In summary: move to Java SE 6. Join in building OpenJDK and defining Java SE 7. A lot of information is available at http://planetjdk.org