Java 7, 8 Win JCP Approval

Java 7 and 8 are officially a go, but is the community heading for a schism? The new releases handily won Java Community Process (JCP) approval in an executive committee vote, but some members expressed significant concerns about the open source licensing provisions, inviting the possibility of the Apache Software Foundation forking the language.

Apache says that it supports the technical aspects of JSR-336 for Java 7 and JSR-337 for Java 8, but that it worries that the terms Oracle is including in its licensing agreement are overly restrictive. DevX has the story.

The technical specifications for both Java 7 and Java 8 have been passed by the Java Community Process (JCP) in an executive committee vote. The vote for both JSR-336 on Java 7 and JSR-337 on Java 8 was 12 in favor and three opposed.

The new Java 7 and 8 releases will include multiple technical innovations including new modularity and productivity improvements. While the majority of executive committee members of the JCP voted in favor of Java 7 and 8, there are a number of concerns. The most vocal concerns have come from the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), which voted against JSRs 336 and 337. Apache’s concerns are not however about the technical merits of Java 7 and 8 but rather about the open source licensing implications. Those concerns could lead to a split between Apache and the JCP and potentially the fragmentation of Java.

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Java 7 and 8 Get the Green Light Over Apache Opposition