Release Plan

Major Project Milestones

0.4.2 - Current Release

Focus: Improvements in AndHow configuration and exports

This release should be compatible with the 0.4.0 release, but will have several methods that are deprecated in preference to some new, easier patterns for AndHow configuration.

Additionally hoping to add improved export support to allow application code to get specific groups of properties exported to a Map or other collection for use with other frameworks that take their configuration this way.

0.5.0 - Planned for August November, 2021

Focus: Removing deprecated methods and classes, API changes that have been waiting for an opportunity to happen

There have been some places where early API decisions need to change, but that cannot be done without breaking users code. This release will allow AndHow to change its API and users can upgrade when they are ready.

1.8.0 - Unscheduled

Focus: Final stable release to support JDK 1.8

Its hard to support JDK 1.8 and JDK 9 in the same project. '1.8.0' is intended to represent 1.8 compatibility. Its unclear if a parallel branch will be needed to support JDK 9 and beyond. Currently JDK 1.8 code works with JDK 9 - 16 and most applications do not use JDK 9 modules, so there has not been an large incentive to leave JDK 1.8 behind.

1.9.0 - Unscheduled

Focus: Switch to JDK9 for binaries (thus the '.9' name)

Major switch to JDK9 build and JDK9 compatible jar. After the switch to JDK9, it may not be possible to create a JDK8 compatible jar without maintaining a separate branch. If that is the case, it may just be easiest to drop JDK8 unless a lot of users object. JDK8 users could continue to use the 0.5.0 release.

Other notes....

The current JDK8 build is forwards compatible for JDK9 and beyond.

Currently it does not look like it is possible to easily create a build that is JDK 8 and JDK 9 compatible. If it is possible to do that, possibly with by using multiple Maven pom files, then the 0.9.0 release could be API changes and the switch to JDK 9. There is a task to investigate this.

It would also be good to push the andhow_samples project to better represent real-world usage and have automation that builds the samples on all current JDKs (8-11) and platforms ('nux and Windows). There is a task for this.