Mailing-List: contact derby-dev-help@db.apache.org; run by ezmlm
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: <derby-dev@db.apache.org>
Received-SPF: neutral (athena.apache.org: local policy)
Message-ID: <4704F987.8080402@amberpoint.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2007 07:32:39 -0700
From: Bryan Pendleton <bpendleton@amberpoint.com>
User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.6 (Windows/20070728)
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: derby-dev@db.apache.org
Subject: Re: [VOTE] Require Java 5 (or later) compiler to build Derby
References: <46FA62B4.3010102@sun.com> <x1o3lkalbsy0.fsf@sun.com>
 <4704228C.4070905@apache.org> <4704969A.2020002@sun.com>
In-Reply-To: <4704969A.2020002@sun.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

>> Seems that it might be possible with this to start using some 1.5 
>> language constructs in Derby's code: those that compile down to 
>> standard byte code. This would be by using -source 1.5 -target 1.4 in 
>> the build.xml files.
> 
> Be *very* careful about what 1.5 language features you start using in 
> your code. It's not as easy as specifying -source 1.5 -target 1.4 to get 
> a 1.4 compatible class/jar.
> 
> If you end up using the "wrong" language constructs in your code, you 
> will become dependant on additional libraries like Retrowaver (or 
> similar) that implements the missing features/classes for you.

Thanks Thomas! Existing experience here is very helpful.

Perhaps you could start a wiki page about this, and collect any
specific information that you recall from your prior experiences
of mixing and matching language features, and then as we figure out
additional conventions about what works, and what doesn't, we can
add them to the wiki page.

thanks,

bryan