Newfound Commitment to the Java Platform Includes Releases of Microsoft Build for OpenJDK in May and Language Support for Java on Visual Studio Code in October
Looking to deepen its investment in Java, Microsoft has joined the Java Community Process (JCP), which guides the development of the Java platform.
Microsoft on November 4 said it has signed the Java Specification Participation Agreement (JSPA). The JCP is the mechanism for developing standard technical specifications for Java technologies, enabling collaboration between developers, customers, and vendors who want to submit suggestions for APIs. Essentially, the JCP is about the future of Java.
In elaborating on its commitment, the company cited its own growing use of Java, which includes more than 500,000 JVMs in production running hundreds of internal Microsoft systems. Microsoft also cited customers and developers running Java on the Microsoft Azure cloud and GitHub.
Microsoft, which once was at loggerheads with Java founder Sun Microsystems over its distribution of Java, has been making amends with the Java community, even offering its own Microsoft Build of OpenJDK, based on OpenJDK source code. Microsoft binaries for Java 11 have passed Java Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) testing to verify compatibility with the Java 11 specification.
Microsoft supports Java on the Visual Studio Code editor through a collaboration with Red Hat and the Java community. The 1.0 release of Language Support for Java by Red Hat arrived late last month.
By joining the JCP, Microsoft is taking a more active role in the development of the Java platform, reinforcing its commitment to the Java ecosystem and ensuring that Java continues to thrive and evolve in alignment with the needs of its extensive user base.