Comments on #393: why is removing apt a feature for JDK 8?

[Joseph Darcy]

Hello,

A few quick comments on episode #393 about JDK feature planning.

Formally, for the JDK we are now using a planning process called "JEP"
(JDK Enhancement Proposal). [1]

The recently updated JDK 8 feature list [2] is composed of references
to JEPs and one of those features is removing the JDK 5-era apt from
JDK 8.

As discussed in the podcast, the apt tool and API were non-JCP APIs
shipped in JDK 5 to support annotation processing. The annotation
processing functionality was standardized (and improved!) by JSR 269,
which was included in JDK 6. I've written about the saga of apt going
from deprecated in JDK 7 to planned to be removed from JDK 8 to
actually removed from JDK 8:

"The passing of apt"
https://blogs.oracle.com/darcy/entry/the_passing_of_apt

"An apt ending draws nigh"
https://blogs.oracle.com/darcy/entry/apt_ending

One reason removing apt was called out was because it is outside of
the usual general evolution policy we use for the JDK. [4] Maybe
we'll be able to excise corba one of these years ;-)

Cheers,

-Joe

[1] http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/0
http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/1

[2] http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk8/features

[3] http://openjdk.java.net/jeps/117

[4] http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~darcy/OpenJdkDevGuide/OpenJdkDevelopersGuide.v0.777.html#general_evolution_policy

[Jim Cheesman]

It's the excitement of seeing something deprecated actually being deleted!

I particularly enjoy reading "deprecated as of JDK 1.1" in the JDK7 api docs :)