Google Confirms Next Android Version Won't Use Oracle's Proprietary Java APIs

An anonymous reader writes: Google is ditching the Java application programming interfaces (APIs) in Android and moving to only OpenJDK. The news first came by a "mysterious Android codebase commit" from last month submitted to Hacker News. Google confirmed to VentureBeat that Android N will rely solely on OpenJDK. “As an open-source platform, Android is built upon the collaboration of the open-source community,” a Google spokesperson told VentureBeat. “In our upcoming release of Android, we plan to move Android’s Java language libraries to an OpenJDK-based approach, creating a common code base for developers to build apps and services. Google has long worked with and contributed to the OpenJDK community, and we look forward to making even more contributions to the OpenJDK project in the future.”

Comments

Good time to be an Android developer!

[XxtraLarGe]

I wonder how much stuff this is going to break?

Re: Good time to be an Android developer!

[Anonymous Coward]

As long as it pisses off Larry Ellison, it's worth it.

Re:Good time to be an Android developer!

[maligor]

I wonder how much stuff this is going to break?

The difference between OpenJDK and Java JDK is meaningless (In Android), so nothing will break. I think the core build systems has been using OpenJDK over official java for a while, and I would imagine this is the shift for the app developer stuff, but it won't really change anything aside from having to download a new JDK.

Re: Good time to be an Android developer!

[ClickOnThis]

I'm sure Google is telling Larry that he can kiss their puckered brown Oracle.

Google could tell Larry to go fuck himself.

But I wouldn't be surprised if he married himself.

Re:Good time to be an Android developer!

[phantomfive]

OpenJDK is under the GPL, which means there will be a lot more GPL in Android now.

Here is the commit message. Right now they are just copying files over, so it's not entirely clear what they will be doing with the OpenJDK stuff, but it's in there. Presumably Google will modify it to use Dalvik (or whatever VM they are using now).

Re:Good time to be an Android developer!

[PCM2]

The difference between OpenJDK and Java JDK is meaningless (In Android), so nothing will break

If that's true, why haven't they been using it all along? The first commercial Android phone was unveiled in late 2008. The OpenJDK class library was pretty complete by then.

Re:Good time to be an Android developer!

[Tumbleweed]

Application-wise, probably not much, what with the official move over to ART.

Re:Good time to be an Android developer!

[stephanruby]

The difference between OpenJDK and Java JDK is meaningless (In Android), so nothing will break

If that's true, why haven't they been using it all along? The first commercial Android phone was unveiled in late 2008. The OpenJDK class library was pretty complete by then.

The answer was Eclipse. Eclipse didn't work very well with the OpenJDK.

Re:Good time to be an Android developer!

[ArmoredDragon]

I don't quite get why Google doesn't address one of the app developer's longest standing complaints, and ditch Java completely. They don't have to do it right away, just next version of Android they should feature a new runtime based on something else, and over oh say 5 years, (when the old apps are probably not terribly relevant) they can hard compile all of the existing apps in the play store that haven't been updated to both ARM and X86 (for e.g. old games that the developer no longer maintains but people still want to play) and then remove the old runtime.

Re:Good time to be an Android developer!

[TheRaven64]

I had a 770 too, and I remember just how badly the UI sucked. Most of the apps that weren't part of the standard install weren't designed for touchscreen input and were clunky (most of the ones that were designed for the touchscreen were still clunky). It had a resistive touchscreen, so couldn't take advantage of multitouch and came with a stylus because you needed to tap very accurately to be able to hit controls on a lot of things. Great screen for the era though.

Re:Good time to be an Android developer!

[Cyberax]

License.

OpenJDK is GPLv3 with Classpath extension (it basically says "GPL does not infect your code"). Android was using libraries by Apache Harmony, which are under Apache v2 license.

Try Kotlinlang.org

[jblues]

If you're developing for Android it is worth checking out Kotlin along with the Anko libs from Jetbrains.

Kotlin, by the company that provides the Android Studio platform, is built on the Java platform and adds a modern, fashionable multi-paradigm (OO, functional) syntax, fixes some gaps in the Java standard libs, adds optionals that are (IMHO) easier to read than Swift's. It seems to be the best bet for getting a modern, fashionable language on Android, ie does not add to download size, seamless operation with other libs, etc.

You can also use Kotlin as a backend language, eg with Spring Boot, and it compiles to JavaScript too, so can be used client-side. You could even use it on iOS if you wanted, with RoboVM.

I've spent the last few years developing focusing almost 100% on iOS, but am willing to give Android another try in 2016

.

Open Source Google

[dejitaru]

"As an open-source platform, Android is built upon the collaboration of the open-source community,” a Google spokesperson told VentureBeat.

Is that why they are making 'closed source' versions of apps that was a part of the open source Android? Like Camera, Dialer, Keyboard, Contacts, Calendar, etc. It seems, if Google could, they would make Android closed source... I just take it that they don't want to pay licensing costs to Oracle anymore.

Re:Abstractions: a purely academic concept.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow. Longtime Java programmer here. Switched to OpenJDK a few years ago to make deployments on Linix easier (many distros stopped providing Oracle JDKs through their package managers). Not a single thing broke. Not even a little.

So many many mane projects are likely to continue to work after a switch from Oracle to OpenJDK. Basically, as long as you don't directly use any com.sun.whatever or sun.misc.whatever code directly (like everyone used to do for base64 encoding, or writing JPG files), then you should be fine. Basically, if you have been doing what both Sun and Oracle have been telling Java programmers to do for about 10 or so years, now, your code should move from one JVM to another without blowing up.

But isn't Android "not Java"? *ducks*

Re: OpenJDK is illegal too

[Billly Gates]

Anything source compatible is copyright violation subject to the dmca thanks to the Oracle court case.

Compatibility is intermingled with copyright. Terrible decision

Apache Harmony

[staalmannen]

They never used Oracle/Sun Java but Apache Harmony due to the " no GPL in userspace" rule in Android. My guess is that this has nothing to do with Oracle and everything to do with that Apache harmony isdead and it is annoying to maintain a fork. Using OpenJDK could increase quality and security thanks to more eyeballs.

Does this mean anything at all

[Chrisq]

OpenJDK is 100% compatible with the Java public APIs. So they are switching to something which is the same ...

Apache Harmony getting replaced

[El_Muerte_TDS]

Wasn't Android using Apache Harmony as basis? Given that Harmony is no longer being developed due to OpenJDK being just as open and available, it's only a logical choice to upgrade to a modern Java API.

Additionally, using OpenJDK instead of Harmony (or any other Java Classpath implementation) does nothing with respect to using "Oracle's Proprietary Java APIs".

Re:Abstractions: a purely academic concept.

[Tough Love]

Wtf is a mane project?

Psycho touchscreen spell correction

Re:Inaccurate Heading!!!!!!!!

[Tough Love]

Further to that, Javalobby has the definitive analysis and answers a bunch of misconceptions.