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Oracle set to merge Java virtual machines

networkworld.com

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Re: Oracle set to merge Java virtual machines

#4

Post by kolektiv »

"It's not an easy problem taking the best of each, figuring out what the long-term convergence plan is."

That's an understatement. The complexity of merging two fairly distinct VMs while trying to maintain feature parity with both separate previous versions, and taking the best features of both? Eighteen months seems optimistic. I also hope they have some incredibly good way of producing a combined test suite, because this seems like the most promising way of introducing myriad subtle bugs I can imagine.

Re: Oracle set to merge Java virtual machines

#5

Post by wheaties »

kolektiv wrote: post #4

"It's not an easy problem taking the best of each, figuring out what the long-term convergence plan is." That's an understatement. The complexity of merging two fairly distinct VMs while trying to maintain feature parity with both separate previous versions, and taking the best features of both? Eighteen months seems optimistic. I also hope they have some incredibly good way of producing a combined test suite, becaus…

I doubt it was the developers who are responsible for the merging who came up with an 18 month estimate. Invariably it's not going to happen on time or if the 18 month milestone is hit, it'll stay alpha for quite some time. JDK7 + merging of 2 distinct VMs? Sheesh...

Re: Oracle set to merge Java virtual machines

#6

Post by radu_floricica »

kolektiv wrote: post #4

"It's not an easy problem taking the best of each, figuring out what the long-term convergence plan is." That's an understatement. The complexity of merging two fairly distinct VMs while trying to maintain feature parity with both separate previous versions, and taking the best features of both? Eighteen months seems optimistic. I also hope they have some incredibly good way of producing a combined test suite, becaus…

Not if they chose one of them as base and incrementally improve it with code taken from the other. Easier to test and stable at every point.

Re: Oracle set to merge Java virtual machines

#7

Post by Tautologistics »

radu_floricica wrote: post #6
kolektiv wrote: post #4

"It's not an easy problem taking the best of each, figuring out what the long-term convergence plan is." That's an understatement. The complexity of merging two fairly distinct VMs while trying to maintain feature parity with both separate previous versions, and taking the best features of both? Eighteen months seems optimistic. I also hope they have some incredibly good way of producing a combined test suite, becaus…

Not if they chose one of them as base and incrementally improve it with code taken from the other. Easier to test and stable at every point.

It is likely that some of each VMs design decisions are so fundamental that it precludes an incremental migration of pieces from one to the other.

Re: Oracle set to merge Java virtual machines

#8

Post by yock »

kokoloko wrote: post #2

Where does this put OpenJDK? I doubt Oracle is thinking of open sourcing JRockit parts...

Considering Oracle's two recent actions against open source projects, I'd suspect this is yet another move to minimize the amount of open source software under its control.
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