Re: Current requirements for Java

[Akim Demaille]

Hi all!

> Le 14 oct. 2018 à 22:24, Bruno Haible <address@hidden> a écrit :
> 
> The essential reference is the timeline of Java releases:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_version_history

Thanks!

> As you can see, Java specification levels 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 are outdated for
> more than 3 years. And level 1.6 will be outdated in December 2018.
> So, why not move to
>  gt_JAVACOMP([1.7], [1.7])
> already now?

It does make sense.  Someday, I should check if these newer features
should be used in the generated code.


> What this change implies?
>  1) You must adapt your source code (or bison-generated code) to be compliant
>     with Java 1.7. In particular, you cannot have variables or methods named
>     'assert' any more, since this is a keyword since Java 1.4. And a couple
>     of things like that.

Luckily, nothing was needed.


>  2) You cannot use GCJ as Java implementation any more, since it stayed
>     at level 1.5 / 1.6 before it was discontinued. (It was dropped in GCC 7.)
>  3) Users who want to use the compiled .class / .jar files will need Java 7
>     or newer. But this is not a problem, since the industry has already
>     moved from Java 6 to Java 7 (mostly).

That’s what I was truly worried about, thanks!


Thanks to Paul and you.  I installed this in Bison.

commit cf0e35460e26e3bbbcfd1220d606a38151c86327
Author: Akim Demaille <address@hidden>
Date:   Mon Oct 15 06:36:52 2018 +0200

    java: bump to Java SE 7
    
    macOS 10.14 no longer supports versions of Java earlier than 5.
    And Java 6 will be deprecated by the end of this year.  So let's move
    our requirement to Java 7.
    Reported by Yu Yijun.
    https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-bison/2018-09/msg00060.html
    Suggested by Paul Eggert and Bruno Haible.
    http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnulib/2018-10/msg00094.html
    
    * configure.ac: Require Java 7, both compiler and runtime.

diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7cd0964d..a569ef7c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ AM_MISSING_PROG([AUTOM4TE], [autom4te])
 # Needed by tests/atlocal.in.
 AC_SUBST([GCC])
 
-gt_JAVACOMP([1.3], [1.4])
+gt_JAVACOMP([1.7], [1.7])
 gt_JAVAEXEC
 
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile