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Description

Java 5 has gone past it's used by date and is no longer easily available for the developer
community to work with. While we have had a large portion of our user community "stuck" with Java 5 in the past (in order to maintain enterprise edition applications) it is now time to move on.

This proposal is for:

• updating trunk to use Java 6 immediately
• make the life of trunk short (6 months at most)

This combination allows us to check out Java 6 issues early; while reducing the length of time we must back port bug fixes. Note this overhead is greater than normal due to the requirement to have two separate environments.

Status

Voting is underway:

• Andrea Aime: +1
• Ben Caradoc-Davies: +1
• Christian Mueller: +1
• Ian Turton +1
• Justin Deoliveira: +1
• Jody Garnett +1
• Simone Giannecchini +0

Tasks

1. aa: check build in Java 6 an apply eventual patches
   • Update pom to indicate 1.6 as a compiler setting
   • Exemplars used for image comparison tests will have to be updated
   • the tests were also modified to allow for differences in font metrics
2. jd: Update hudson configuration
   • commit change to pom.xml
3. Update developers guide build instructions
   • mcr: http://docs.geotools.org/latest/developer/guide/building/java.html
   • mcr: http://docs.geotools.org/latest/developer/guide/building/install/install.html
   • mcr: http://docs.geotools.org/latest/developer/guide/building/install/jdk.html
   • jg: check the instructions (setting up a fresh machine)
4. Update user guide
   • Quickstart tutorial already advises use of latest JDK

Java 5 Volunteers

The GeoTools 2.7 has the option to grow into a "long term" support target (as was the case with GeoTools 2.2).

This is of course dependent on downstream projects continuing to require Java 5 support for their customers; and in turn receiving funding to make additional stable releases.

If this has happened to your project please join the development list and volunteer;
to make an additional release. The release process is well documented and we can help set you up with credentials for both maven and source forge.

Community Feedback

Developer Community feedback:

• GeoTools:
  • http://www.micropoll.com/a/MicroPollData?id=423595&mode=html
    

    Response Percentage Yes this would be better for me 66 Fine Not much difference for me 25 I don't care 4 Prefer not but I could work with it 5 No This would be a problem for me 0

• GeoServer
  • http://www.micropoll.com/a/MicroPollData?id=423614&mode=html
    

    Response Percentage Yes this would be better for me 67 Fine Not much difference for me 23 I don't care 5 Prefer not but I could work with it 4 No This would be a problem for me 1

• GeoMajas:
  • no feedback
• 52 North:
  • no feedback