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

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www wrote:

> Correct me if I am wrong: is specification such thing? Many Java software
> developers feel they need some feature (not existing yet). Then they
> write into a document, specifying what they really want. Then some Oracle
> Java Committee reviews the request and hopefully approves it, then
> release this document, as JSR x.y.z

I think the more common approach is that the specification is produced in 
tandem with the reference implementation -- with some overlap between the 
groups producing the two "products".

Thus the reference implementation is usually the first to be released (quite 
possibly before the actual standard[*]), and is the implementation that proves 
that the specification can actually be implemented and is (at least somewhat) 
useful.

There then may be one or more other implementations produced by people who 
think that they can improve upon the reference implementation in any of many 
different ways (e.g. integration into an existing product, 
faster/smaller/cheaper implementation, branded by <some big name>, ...).

Of course, another way that standards get born is when several similar but 
competing products agree on a common standard -- but in such cases there 
typically won't be any /reference/ implementation (at least I can't think of 
any examples).

    -- chris

[*] not necessarily before any "draft standards" but a "draft standard" isn't 
really a standard at all, just a discussion document. 

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what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? www <xsli2@yahoo.com> - 2014-08-08 07:46 -0700
  Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Josip Almasi <joe@vrspace.org> - 2014-08-08 17:28 +0200
    Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Jeff Higgins <jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2014-08-09 04:24 -0400
      Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Josip Almasi <joe@vrspace.org> - 2014-08-10 13:26 +0200
  Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Jeff Higgins <jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2014-08-08 15:55 -0400
  Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2014-08-08 18:37 -0700
    Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2014-08-09 12:29 +0200
      Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2014-08-12 03:04 -0700
        Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2014-08-18 08:08 -0700
          Re: what are java specification? what are reference implementation? Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2014-08-18 23:28 -0700
          Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2014-08-19 11:17 -0400
            Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? "Chris Uppal" <chris.uppal@metagnostic.REMOVE-THIS.org> - 2014-08-19 17:42 +0100
            Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? Joshua Cranmer 🐧 <Pidgeot18@verizon.invalid> - 2014-08-19 23:08 -0500
  Re: what are java specsification? what are reference implementation? "Chris Uppal" <chris.uppal@metagnostic.REMOVE-THIS.org> - 2014-08-09 11:17 +0100

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