Re: Java 8 Lambda binary snapshot
markspace wrote:
Arne Vajh=F8j wrote:
Requiring a Java 7 java to execute Java 8 javac output is forward
compatible not backward compatible.
Hmm, I guess I was thinking of "Java 8 is not backwards compatible with=
Java 7 JVM," although there may be subtleties to that term that I'm not=
understanding.
Code emitted by a Java 5 compiler will not run on a Java 1.4 JVM (unless yo=
u specify "-target" and "-bootclasspath", and not always then). Likewise w=
ith Java 6 class files trying to run in a Java 5 JVM. Java 1.2 wouldn't ru=
n on a 1.1 JVM. It has always been thus.
And AFAIK then Java has never promised or intended being
forward compatible.
Whatever you call it, the code emitted by the more advance compiler natural=
ly cannot guarantee to run on the older platform.
My main goal was to point out to folks here who may try that snapshot
that "it's not all there yet" so they didn't spend too much time
spinning their wheels if they found something that didn't run. Likely,=
it's the JDK that probably isn't 100% yet, not the coder.
Even if the JDK were "100%", it would still need a compatible JVM to run it=
..
Just like always.
--
Lew