- Release Types and Dates
- Java releases include security patches and feature updates
- Security patches released on third Tuesday of January, April, July, October
- Feature releases scheduled for March and September
- Updates provided for feature releases outlined in Oracle roadmap
- Naming and Versioning
- Java started as JDK, then rebranded to Java 2 SDK
- Version-string format has changed multiple times
- Early releases named after birds/mammals (major) and insects (minor)
- JDK 7 ended naming practice
- Platform Standardization
- Java Community Process (JCP) standardizes Java SE Platform
- Platform JSR consists of Specification, Reference Implementation, and TCK
- Maintenance Releases (MRs) required for specification changes
- Java SE 8 introduced JDK Enhancement Proposal (JEP) Process
- Recent Changes
- Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems in 2010
- Java 11 onwards releases consist solely of JDK
- Crypto algorithm updates tracked in separate roadmap