BEA Throws Support Behind Open-Sourcing Java

"For the first time we'd like to go on record in favor of open-sourcing J2SE, and we've been working behind the scenes on this," said BEA CTO Scott Dietzen in his conference keynote Wednesday afternoon. "I think it's a very natural thing for the community to do. It fits the business model."

J2SE, or Java 2 Standard Edition, is the desktop platform that allows Java applications to run on desktop clients. Version 5.0 of the specification, code-named Tiger, was released this week at JavaOne.

While Dietzen said San Jose, Calif.-based BEA is in favor of open-sourcing the Java desktop runtime, he said that this doesn't mean the compatibility of Java-branded software and applications--now required by certifying the software and applications against Java Test Compatibility Kits (TCKs) provided by Sun Microsystems--should be compromised.

"We cannot relax compatibility," Dietzen said. "Our proposed model is that you can go out and innovate freely, but if you want to ship something in the Java name space or brand, you have to certify it as compatible."

Dietzen suggested open-sourcing TCKs might be a way to solve some of the issues around the current complexity of achieving compatibility with Java specifications. The tests to achieve compatibility are notoriously difficult to run, so having access to the source code might help with bug fixes and improve the quality of the overall testing experience, he said.

Several Java industry experts are scheduled to engage in a roundtable discussion at JavaOne Thursday debating the merits of open-sourcing Java, an issue that has moved to the forefront since IBM Fellow Rod Smith wrote an open letter to Sun about it earlier this year. Smith will participate in the panel, along with James Gosling, Sun fellow, vice president and CTO of Sun's developer products, along with several other industry pundits.

On Tuesday, Gosling, best known for being Java's creator, told CRN that maintaining compatibility across the Java platform was Sun's biggest concern with open-sourcing the technology. (See story.)

He said Sun, Santa Clara, Calif., is contemplating a way to open-source J2SE without giving up the compatibility that is so important to developers, and is hoping Thursday's roundtable discussion will inspire relevant feedback from the community.