Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation?

From:
Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.java.programmer
Date:
Mon, 18 Aug 2014 08:08:08 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID:
<b1317e2c-36b6-494d-b47c-c392ace721e2@googlegroups.com>
On Tuesday, August 12, 2014 12:04:49 PM UTC+2, Roedy Green wrote:

On Sat, 09 Aug 2014 12:29:29 +0200, Robert Klemme
<shortcutter@googlemail.com> wrote, quoted or indirectly quoted
someone who said :

I don't think the spec is to blame.


The spec came too late, and then the spec had no teeth, so it was
almost useless.


Still, it's the vendors that must implement it. You cannot blame the spec. It's never the spec's fault - unless, maybe, if the spec is inconsistent or in other ways weak thus forcing implementers of the spec to find "creative solutions".

To be useful, it must let you take code and move it around from vendor
to vendor , and as long as you stick to the spec, it still works.
Vendors should be allowed to extend, but not do variants on the core.


You cannot enforce this. That is totally unrealistic. Worst case they will drop claim to implement SQL standard - but for users it will still look reasonably close so they use it as if.

Vendors WANT to lock their customers in. Customers want to be able to
move. The problem is vendors are the ones writing the spec.


I think you are idealistic here (and I have probably grown too pragmatic).

Java as a spec is much tighter than usual, and has done a better job
than anyone on WORA.


No, it's not the spec that did the good job but vendors implementing it. Luckily for Java there were only few vendors and one of them happened to be the driving force behind the spec as well.

Cheers

robert

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