On Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 2:56 AM, janI <j...@apache.org> wrote: > On 8 August 2013 11:43, sebb <seb...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On 8 August 2013 02:26, Rob Weir <robw...@apache.org> wrote: > > > On Wed, Aug 7, 2013 at 5:23 PM, Kay Schenk <kay.sch...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > >> On Wed, Aug 7, 2013 at 11:24 AM, janI <j...@apache.org> wrote: > > >> > > >>> On 7 August 2013 18:55, Andrea Pescetti <pesce...@apache.org> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> > Oliver-Rainer Wittmann wrote: > > >>> > > > >>> >> Important note for discussion: it is all about platform Windows. > > >>> >> On my work to update the AOO build environment for Windows I > > recognized > > >>> >> that it is hard to get an official JDK 1.5 (Java 5) or JDK 1.6 > > (Java 6) > > >>> >> for Windows. Thus, I decided to go with JDK 1.7. The resulting AOO > > >>> >> installation on Windows no longer works together with an JRE 6. It > > does > > >>> >> not recognize an installed JRE 6 as an valid Java runtime > > environment. > > >>> >> > > >>> > > > >>> > May we frame the problem in more technical terms, just to know what > > is > > >>> > broken? For example, why is this affecting only Windows and why is > > Java 6 > > >>> > not recognized in your build? Could the problem be in detection > > rather > > >>> than > > >>> > in the actual compatibility? > > >>> > > > >>> > Java issues were extensively discussed in earlier times, so here's > a > > >>> quick > > >>> > summary that also answers most of the questions in this thread: > > >>> > - As of 4.0, OpenOffice can be built with Java 5, 6 or 7 > > >>> > - Whatever you use for building, the resulting binary has a "Java > > >>> > baseline" of 1.5 as per http://wiki.openoffice.org/** > > >>> > wiki/Policies/Java_Usage< > > >>> http://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Policies/Java_Usage>(means: runs > with > > >>> Java 5, 6 or 7) > > >>> > - We built 4.0 with Java 6 (on Linux at least; not 100% sure about > > other > > >>> > platforms) > > >>> > > > >>> > In general, I agree that we should build on the most secure > platform > > >>> > available. But, based on the above, what is the relationship > between > > >>> > "building on Java 7" and "running on Java 6"? To reuse Rob's > Windows > > XP > > >>> > argument, sure we should build on a supported (by Microsoft) > Windows > > >>> > version, but, if at all possible/reasonable, we shouldn't break > > >>> > compatibility with Windows XP. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >>> I am sorry if this posting is obvious to everyone, but reading the > > remarks, > > >>> make me think there are some confusion about what we mean with using > > java > > >>> for development and runtime. > > >>> > > >>> One of the strength of java is "program once, run everywhere" . This > is > > >>> accomplished by by 2 magic trix (compared to eg. C++). > > >>> 1) Java does not compile to machine code but to pcode (a virtual > > machine), > > >>> therefore you can build the program on linux, and run the build on > > window > > >>> (or even one of the big mainframes). > > >>> 2) Java also does late binding (think of a very smart dll), so > > libraries > > >>> are not part of your build. > > >>> > > >>> This means you can use a java development 1.7 on any platform, to > make > > a > > >>> build that runs on any platform and (nearly) any java runtime > version. > > As > > >>> an example I use areca backup, its a java program, the exact same jar > > files > > >>> run on vista,xp,win7,ubuntu and even android, areca is programm > towards > > >>> java 1.4, and I have 1.6 and 1.7 installed depending on platform. > > >>> > > >>> The problem is the classes and the API. If our code use just a single > > java > > >>> 1.7 specific call, the runtime must be at least 1.7. This is however > no > > >>> problem today, our code is build for the classes and api available in > > java > > >>> runtime 1.5, so it will run there. > > >>> > > >>> Oracle have promised to keep the API and classes for 1.4 and forwards > > >>> stable, and available in new versions. They are pretty good at living > > up to > > >>> the promise > > >>> > > >>> So in theory we can change build environment to java 1.7 and not tell > > user, > > >>> as long as we only use 1.5 API and classes. As part of a release > > cycle, we > > >>> should of course test once with runtime 1.5. > > >>> > > >>> I wrote "in theory" because in the real world, we might want to (in > > future > > >>> releases) use the 1.7 api for e.g. performance reasons, when that > time > > >>> comes we would have to make a wrapper class, just like we have in C++ > > to > > >>> cover differences Linux/windows. > > >>> > > >>> Sorry again, if I misread the postings, but this is very much > different > > >>> from the XP scenario. > > >>> > > >>> rgds > > >>> jan I. > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >> Thank you for this great explanation! So basically, review the AOO > java > > API. > > >> > > > > > > It is a bit more complicated than that. The Java language itself has > > > evolved, not just the libraries. There are bytecode changes as well. > > > The difference between Java 1.7/1.6 is not very big, but there are > > > more significant differences if you need to maintain compatibility > > > with Java 1.5. Not impossible, but it would be extra effort. > > > > AIUI the compiler just has to be told to generate the appropriate code: > > > > javac -source 1.5 -target 1.5 > > > > The source will of course have to be 1.5 compatible. > > But is there very much Java code? > > > > thx. By the way there are no bytecode changes, but bytecode ammendments, a > 1.5 jar runs perfect in a 1.7 enviroment. > > There are 8.688 files in trunk, in my tree, some of them might be > duplicates (unxlng6.pro) so a fair rule of thumb is 8.000 files. >
In my mind, interfaces for hsqldb are a major consideration here, assuming we continue to use that as our embedded DB. And, as Dave suggests ( or maybe he would like to even propose some specs/ideas?) for using/integrating other Apache java-based components . > > > > > > > And remember, the "cost" of supporting old platforms is not just the > > > dev work. It also involves QA and support.. If we say we "support" > > > something then we really ought to be testing in, not just saying that > > > we not aware of any problems. The OpenOffice brand should mean that > > > users can run on any supported platform and have a good experience. > > > IMHO we should not say we "support" a platform unless we're willing > > > and able to meet that kind of expectation. > > > > I don't see why AOO should not say that certain platforms are the > > primary targets for which full support is offered. > > > +1, that is basically what we do today. > > > > > > As a practical matter we cannot be testing every platform on 3 > > > different JVM versions. That's not going to happen. The test matrix > > > is too large. Even on Windows that is XP/Vista/Win7/Win8 or 4 > > > platforms * 3 JVM's, or 12 combinations. And that is just Windows. > > > > There should be no need to test all combinations. > > That's the point of Java - code should run on any compatible JVM, and > > code that runs on 1.5 should run on 1.7. > > Besides, at least on Windows, AFAIK the same JVM iis used for all OSes > > that it supports > > Certainly the download is the same for all supported Windows versions, > > the only difference is 32(x86) or 64-bit > > > > So one could test Java 1.5 on XP, Java 1.6 on Vista, Java 1.8 on Win7 > > > > I doubt that any provider of a Java application has tested it on all > > platforms and JVMs. > > > > Yes, there may be some edge cases where particular JVMs don't behave > > as expected. > > But the same is true of OS software - occaisionally there are odd > > interactions between patches and applications. > > > > Ignoring Java - has AOO been tested with all service packs for Win7 for > > example? > > > > dont forget XP and vista. We do not state on the download page exact with > service packs are testet and supported. > > And we also support 3.4 and 3.4.1 so whenever microsoft bring out a new > servicepack, we should actually test it. > > In my opinion we use the word "support" in a very loose sense...meaning > something like "we are prepared to accept bug reports and look at them". > > rgds > jan I > > > > > > -Rob > > > > > >> > > >>> > > > >>> > Regards, > > >>> > Andrea. > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > > ------------------------------**------------------------------**--------- > > >>> > To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscribe@openoffice.**apache.org< > > >>> dev-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org> > > >>> > For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@openoffice.apache.org > > >>> > > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> -- > > >> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> MzK > > >> > > >> Success is falling nine times and getting up ten." > > >> -- Jon Bon Jovi > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org > > > For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@openoffice.apache.org > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@openoffice.apache.org > > For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@openoffice.apache.org > > > > > -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MzK Success is falling nine times and getting up ten." -- Jon Bon Jovi