Java 7 is looking to improve support for dynamic languages using the Java Virtual Machine for their runtime environment. John Rose has been leading a project to explore some options, and JSR 292 will standardise some of this work for Java 7. InfoQ takes a look at the problems JSR 292 solves, and talks to JRuby lead Charles Nutter to find out more about InvokeDynamic in practice.
InfoQ examines three techniques for encouraging experimentation with potential new Java language features - DSLs, the annotation processor, and moving the syntactic sugar from the language to the IDE.
Over the last few years, modularity for Java has been an active discussion topic. From the (now defunct) JSR 277 to the recognition of JSR 291 and the ongoing JSR 294, modularity is seen as a necessary step in Java's evolution. Even future JVM-based languages like Scala are considering modularity. So, what does modularity mean, and why should you care?
IBM have announced the availability of IBM SDK Java Technology Edition Version 7 for both their AIX platform and the Linux platform. The SDK is available for download from developerWorks and brings the compiler and runtime to the same level as found in OpenJDK.
Following on from last week's release of Java 7, InfoQ spoke to Adam Messinger, Vice President of Development in the Fusion Middleware group at Oracle, to get more information about the release and Oracle's plan for Java 8.
Java 7 is generally available from today, the first release of the Java platform since Oracle's acquisition of Sun. The release includes a number of small but welcome changes to the language, incorporates a new file API and the Fork/Join Framework, and improves dynamic language support on the JVM.
With today's release of NetBeans 7.0, NetBeans becomes the first open source IDE to support JDK 7. Other highlights include Maven 3 integration and HTML5 support.
Oracle's Mark Reinhold has announced that the JDK 7 Developer Preview build (milestone 12) is now available and the firm is keen to hear developer feedback. The majority of Java IDEs are also moving rapidly to support the new features of Java 7. However concern has been expressed in some quarters over the pre-release software evaluation license terms.
The JDK 7 project says it has shipped the first feature complete build of JDK 7, tracking close to the expected schedule.
