Finally: Java 9

Land Ho!

Summing Up

In addition to the points mentioned here, a number of changes are probably only relevant for a few developers, such as a Linux/s390x port from SAP and the Red Hat-contributed Linux/AAarch64 port for the 64-bit ARM platform. Unicode version 7 is now included instead of 6.2, and Java 9 can load TIFF images, support SHA-3, and more.

On the technical side, Java 9 has thus met with a warm reception; the changes have been extensively matched with the JDK enhancement process. Even 10 years after Sun released the source for Java, the development model still works quite well; participation by other companies is evidence enough. The coming months will show how long it takes for the essential libraries to become available as modules. The benefits are obvious.

Highly configurable libraries in particular use solutions that will no longer run with project Jigsaw. One can only hope that the permanent delays come to an end when Jigsaw is finally released. According to the release planning from 2014, Java 10 is supposed to be with us in 2017. The first plans for it have been drawn up, including the Valhalla [5] project to improve the type system and add speed. The currently unknown release date will keep programmers on the edge of their seats.

Infos

Java: https://www.oracle.com/java
JDK preview version: https://jdk9.java.net/download/
Jigsaw: http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jigsaw/
BeanShell: http://www.beanshell.org
Valhalla: http://openjdk.java.net/projects/valhalla/

The Author

Carsten Zerbst is a member of a team working in the CAD and PDM environment with customers from the automotive, aviation, aerospace, and shipbuilding industries. He advises customers on process questions and creates software solutions for design, integration, and data exchange.

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