Neal Gafter wrote:
The reason I ask is that I'm worried that openJDK may turn into the defacto mechanism for features getting into the platform. The JCP used to play that role, but there has been little activity in forming a JSR for Java SE 7 in the past few years.
There has been some (sadly unavoidable) lack of transparency in JCP that has given many people this mis-impression. The JCP and its Executive Committee (that I am on) very much wants the JCP to play the central role in driving major releases. However, it has been stuck for a long while in policy impasses (such as disputes over terms of TCK tests involving undisclosable legal matters) that have made it impossible to approve a Java7 Release JSR. Everyone involved hopes that these are resolved soon. And many of us have invested a fair amount of time trying to help resolve them. In the absence of resolution, Java7 plans have been left in a long gestation mode. Spec leads and contributors (not just at Sun) involved with changes and additions likely to make it in to a next major release seem to be proceeding with plans, but without an identifiable central coordination point. Placing likely Java7 release contributions in openJDK is a convenient way to maintain progress in the mean time, and presence of code in openJDK repositories is one good indication of some of functionality that some of them intend to include. When a Java7 Release JSR can be proposed, it will probably be able proceed quickly. Until then, the whole process has an unfortunate shadowy-cabal appearance, which does indeed suck. -Doug
