Herbert: Java 2 v5.0 vs. 1.5

Herbert,

I'm puzzled by the naming conventions and versioning of Java now that Tiger is being introduced.

My understanding is that "Java 2" includes both J2SE and J2EE (since the "J2" stands for "Java 2"). Your book is called "Java 2 v5.0 (Tiger) New Features". But "v5.0" refers only to J2SE, not J2EE, doesn't it? There is no such thing as "Java 2 v5.0", is there? Isn't it "Java 2 Standard Edition v5.0"? I think that J2EE is still on version 1.4.

Also, as I understand it, J2SE went from version 1.3 to 1.4 to 5.0. I read somewhere that they wanted to bump up the version number to reflect what a major release this is. But I sometimes see 1.5 being used instead of 5.0. (For example, I own a book called "Java 1.5 Program Design" - http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0073044679 ). Is it correct to call the Tiger release either J2SE 5.0 or 1.5?

To confuse matters even more, I was just reading an article in an industry rag that talked about "Java 5". I don't think there is any such thing as "Java 5", is there? There is no such thing as J5SE, is there? If you Google "Java 5" you find sites that say that "Java 5" lives.

Also, when I first learned Java we used to talk about the JDK. Then it changed to SDK. Now I am seeing JDK again? Is JDK correct now, or can it be called either a JDK or an SDK now?

Is it correct to call the Tiger release either J2SE 5.0 or 1.5?

I think, all is correct. But NOW Should Call Tiger is J2SE 5.0.

Rick

Java 5 is Tiger. Forget why Sun has changed it to 5 from 1.5.

You could also check the www.theserverside.com thread on the version change.

Sun has created lots of names for Tiger. In fact, all stuffs refer to the same thing.

It is no doubt about why, because there is no reason at all.
Just re-call why JDK 1.1 is Java while JDK 1.2 become Java2, you will understand.

Nick

I think naming conventions of java is not Target for Java Tiger.

New feature and Target of Java Tiger 5.0 is very important to learn.

And How to use Java Tiger to improve OLD Code in OLD Java version ???

And How to use Java Tiger to improve OLD Code in OLD Java version ???

Quite simple. Use the new features of Java Tiger.

If you want to keep the old version, you may not be able to use new features.

Although it is bad, it is fact as well.

Just think of you want to keep your EJB 1.x BMP Entity beans. If you wanna use EJB 2.0, you must give up those old entity bean, and rewrite them.

Nick

IMO, it should be J2SE 1.5, Java 5.0 or Tiger...

If we still considering the new version is from Java 2, then it should be J2SE 1.5... But if we believe in the revolution and want to recognize it as a big change, then call it Java 5.0... Tiger should be sort of nick name to them...

But if Java v5.0 is really used, maybe the name will be chanegd to J5SE, which I believe it will use this name.

Nick

J2SE Naming and Versioning
Print-friendly Version





Java technology was introduced 9 years ago and it's been over 5 years since the introduction of J2SE, the 2nd generation Java platform.

Given its rich history, changing the version of the next release from 1.5 to 5.0 better reflects the level of maturity, stability, scalability and security built into J2SE. Here are the official naming and versioning conventions for the upcoming release (also known as "Tiger"):

Platform name:
Java(TM) 2 Platform Standard Edition 5.0 or J2SE(TM) 5.0

Products delivered under the platform*:
JDK(TM) 5.0
JRE 5.0

Due to significant popularity within the Java developer community, the development kit has reverted back to the naming convention "JDK" from "SDK."

*Note: Full names for JDK(TM) and the JRE:
J2SE Development Kit 5.0
J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0

For more detailed infromation on version string convention and more:
http://java.sun.com/j2se/j2se-namechange.html

The upcoming feature release of J2SE is version 5.0. We have changed the version of this release from 1.5.0 to 5.0 to better reflect the level of maturity, stability, scalability and security built into J2SE. (This release is also known as "Tiger".)

Platform and Product Names Use Version 5.0
Version 5.0 is used in the platform and product names -- the leading "1." was dropped. Where you might have expected to see 1.5.0, it is now 5.0 (and where it was 1.5, it is now 5). The names are now:

FullName ----- Abbreviation

Platform name JavaTM 2 Platform Standard Edition 5.0 -----J2SETM 5.0

Products delivered
under the platform J2SETM Development Kit 5.0 -------JDKTM 5.0

J2SETM Runtime Environment 5.0 -----------JRE 5.0

Due to significant popularity within the Java developer community, the development kit has reverted back to the name "JDK" from "Java 2 SDK" (or "J2SDK"), and the runtime environment has reverted back to "JRE" from "J2RE". Notice that "JDK" stands for "J2SE Development Kit". The name "Java Development Kit" has not been used since 1.1, prior to the advent of J2EE and J2ME.

As before, the "2" in Java 2 Platform Standard Edition indicates the 2nd generation Java platform, introduced with J2SE 1.2. This generation number is also used with J2EE and J2ME.

Where Is Version 1.5.0 Still Used?
J2SE also keeps the version number 1.5.0 (or 1.5) in some under-the-cover places that are visible only to developers, where the version number is parsed by programs. In these cases, 1.5.0 refers to exactly the same platform and products numbered 5.0. Version 1.5.0 is used at:

java -version
java -fullversion
javac -source 1.5 (javac -source 5 also works)
java.version system property
java.vm.version system property
@since 1.5 tag values
jdk1.5.0 installation directory
jre1.5.0 installation directory
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0 website (http://java.sun.com/j2se/5.0 also works)

[ August 24, 2004: Message edited by: somkiat puisungnoen ]
[ August 24, 2004: Message edited by: somkiat puisungnoen ]

are the exact same codes written when using j2se 1.4 jdk work properly and functions exactly the same in Java 2 v5.0 tiger?

are the exact same codes written when using j2se 1.4 jdk work properly and functions exactly the same in Java 2 v5.0 tiger?

The old code is supposed to run with little problems with in the newer JRE environments.

Rick (and everyone):

Right now, the Java naming convention is confusing and, frankly, unclear. As has been stated, Sun changed the version number of the new J2SE release from 1.5 to 5. Remember that J2SE stands for "Java 2 Platform Standard Edition", which is a product (so to speak). This raises the question, what do you call the language, itself? And, how do you diferentiate one version of the Java langauge from another?

At this point, I am still using the term "Java 2, v5" because that reflects the "Java 2 Platform" name with the 5 version number. Other writers are doing the same thing. A few are using simply "Java 5", but technically there is currently no such thing as "Java 5."

However, will Sun decide to use the name "Java 5" when it releases the product? I don't know. If someone does know for certain, please tell me!

The above not withstanding, I suspect that overtime, "Java 5" will become the way that we informally refer to it.

Frankly, I always felt that adding the 2 to Java (i.e., Java 2) was a big mistake. But then, no one asked me!

At any rate, I will continue to use "Java 2, v5" until something changes.

Thanks for your response, Herb.

I hope somebody at Sun will see this thread and make an effort to straighten out this mess. It will be very difficult to explain all this to a manager or to a non-technical person. I suspect that a lot of Software Engineers don't understand it themselves.

Honestly, it is quite surprise that SUN will add the *2*, which I expected it comes from the *2* in 1.2 at that time.

Now, they did this again.

Nick

Originally posted by Herb Schildt:
At this point, I am still using the term "Java 2, v5" because that reflects the "Java 2 Platform" name with the 5 version number. Other writers are doing the same thing. A few are using simply "Java 5", but technically there is currently no such thing as "Java 5."

However, will Sun decide to use the name "Java 5" when it releases the product? I don't know. If someone does know for certain, please tell me!

The above not withstanding, I suspect that overtime, "Java 5" will become the way that we informally refer to it.

I have been confusing with the names as well... Now the legal name that Sun has mandated is J2SE 1.5 and J2SE 5.0...

I've been using Java 5 since the beginning of the book promotion... One doubt that JDK is called JDK 5.0, not J2SDK 5.0... So-called JDK 5.0 might be confusing with the illegal name "Java 5"...

Let's wait and see until Sun officially announce the final release and its name...

Originally posted by Pradeep Bhat:
Rick

Java 5 is Tiger. Forget why Sun has changed it to 5 from 1.5.

You could also check the www.theserverside.com thread on the version change.

no it's not. It's Java 2 version 5.0, in which you'll find version 1.5.0 of files (at least that's what you find in beta 2, it's called 5.0 but the file version on for example javac.exe is 1.5.0).

All it does is add another layer of confusion which started with renaming JDK 1.2 to J2SE SDK 1.2 for marketing reasons. Now we have J2SE SDK 5.0 version 1.5.0
Only a few more steps and we are into the Linux version numbering nightmare