While I appreciate Jaroslav's point about libraries being compatible with a wide variety of Java versions, we do have to balance that with keeping up with recent developments and the extra effort it entails to avoid using modern features that are otherwise available. I personally don't see an issue in dropping Java 8 as a minimum platform for building or running NetBeans. If you want to run on Java 8, you are already accustomed to living in the past - you can deal with an older version of NB or the NB platform that supports Java 8. I say that however, having no stake in a NB platform app. It isn't going to affect me. My vote shouldn't count for much.
But NB or the NB platform isn't the only library an application will use, and many others are already starting to raise the bar as far as the minimum supported JDK/JRE. You can only go back as far as all of your dependencies will allow. If there is demand for it, a Java 8 compatible maintenance branch can be made. One reason for running on JDK 8 mentioned running on Android. Are there a significant number of NB platform apps that run on Android now? Do they already build with the latest NB platform, or are they already using an older version anyway - i.e. being on the lastest NB platform may not be a big deal for them. An informed decision needs to be based on these details. Holding back for JDK 8 compatibility helps no one if there isn't actually any real demand to do so. Just my 2c, Scott On Sun, Feb 12, 2023 at 5:22 PM Neil C Smith <neilcsm...@apache.org> wrote: > On Sun, 12 Feb 2023, 19:11 Matthias Bläsing, > <mblaes...@doppel-helix.eu.invalid> wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > Am Freitag, dem 10.02.2023 um 10:12 +0000 schrieb Neil C Smith: > > > On Thu, 9 Feb 2023 at 19:02, Matthias Bläsing < > mblaes...@doppel-helix.eu.invalid> > > wrote: > > > > - commit to make NetBeans runnable on JDK LTS -1 > > > > - build with JDK LTS -1 > > > > - be able to be build with the current JDK > > > > > > +1 as long as that includes the platform. > > > > > > That is what I suggested in the other thread (I don't see why we need > > > multiple threads incidentally!) > > > > > > An LTS-1 strategy seems closest to how NetBeans used to function - > > > major-1, in a time when it also had more development resources? > > > > > > Let's also be clear, though, that adopting an LTS-1 strategy means > > > dropping JDK 11 support either in our first release after JDK 21, or > > > the first after JDK 22 - so latest May 2024. > > > > why would we do that? I said _runnable_ and _buildable_. As long as the > > current JDK support the target release I did not exclude that. > > > > In which case I don't understand what you mean by committing to make > NetBeans buildable and runnable on LTS-1? That to me means dropping the > commitment to JDK 11 when it becomes LTS-2. > > > > > > > - keep as many modules as feasible compatible with release 8 > > > > > > -1 : A number of things have come up recently about preparing for JDK > > > 21+ that would involve increasing the bytecode level and APIs in some > > > core parts of the NetBeans runtime container. > > > > Could you elaborate what that is? Not using Thread#stop and dropping > > finalizers is it not. That can be done (with some pain) with support > > for 8. So what is the problem? > > > > Yes, those and I think some others. My paragraph after the one you quoted > was acknowledging we can do this for 8 with some pain (headache). The > question is whether it is worth it? > > Best wishes, > > Neil >
