Oracle stamps authority on Java roadmap Oracle has laid out plans for the future of Java while the official body responsible for stewarding the world's favorite programming language sits in limbo. Oracle server technologies head Thomas Kurian has laid out a roadmap of changes to the delayed Java Development Kit (JDK) and features for Java SE Java EE designed to take …
"But Kurian's declaration will also cause disquiet among those who feel Oracle might be taking too much control and putting Java on a course that suits Oracle's server, Fusion Middleware, and applications businesses over any other purpose."
If I'd just paid the better part of 7 Bn dollars for something, I don't think your interest in which direction I take it would make any effect on any decision I make about the direction, unless of course, your opinion concurred 100% with mine. If you're not satisfied, shell out the better part of 7 Bn dollars, + a few % to make it worth the while, and you can take it it any direction that you want.
Just remind me again, why did Sun fail in the first place?
The image portrayed by Sun gave me confidence to install the desktop JRE, safe in the knowledge it wouldn't be doing anything unanticipated on computers it's installed to. Oracle's company image on the other hand has made me consider the possibility of a web without Java.
I don't think I'm alone in my reticence towards Oracle's product and services. For many years I have been frustrated by Oracle's (lack of) advancements of their main database product, to the point I had to stop recommending it a few years ago (almost a decade ago in fact, although like any diligent techie I like to evaluate significant releases to make sure my opinion still holds a modicum of validity).
Java has proved very useful as a development platform so I do not expect it to become neglected. My concern is that it will not be desirable to have installed alongside the usual suspects of Acrobat Reader, Flash, WinRar and other essential utilities. To be honest it's not so much a concern, with Oracle at the helm it's more a realisation that soon the desktop JRE will become undesirable due to impending 'feature' changes.
Use the release of Java 7 to finally remove all the deprecated stuff that's been lurking in the class library since version 1.1. If people really need the deprecated methods, then please provide an optional compatibility pack that can override the default classes (as can be done with other parts of the class library, such as the SAX parser implementation).
Cautiously in favour of that, but it will impede the adoption of the language by new users / programmers, as most of the "Hello world" stuff out there is as old as the hills. You can update the doco at the home site (indeed you must) but what about all the tutorial junk out there? It's going to make life very difficult for nubes.
Poor Gosling has turned into another Monty. From what I can remember, Gosling was still with Sun in 2007 and had 3 years to do what he's now calling on Oracle to do. Hypocrite much?
He's had his cake, he's eaten it and now he wants it back.
Of course he's wanting the delegates to sport the t-shirts he's making money on.
When Oracle purchased Sun I was willing to give them a chance to make Java shine again. The bold statements about their future plans for Java all sounded very positive. Some things in Java land did not work out as well as some may have hoped.
The Java Store no longer exists. They stopped approving new apps back in July. It isn't possible to preview or purchase apps in the Java Store because the servers are shut down. Oracle employees on the Java store team no longer respond to emails from developers. For the all the big talk about Java that Oracle has been spouting for the last nine months, they should be deeply embarrassed about the complete failure of the Java Store.
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