This is the "historical page" for the Java Version-Specific Features page.
This section lists new Java capabilities, and which Java version they first appeared in. The "JDK" column shows the first Java Development Kit that could compile the feature; the "JRE" column lists the first runtime environment that could run the feature, including the needed JVM and library support.
| Feature | JDK | JRE |
|---|---|---|
| HiDPI graphics support for Windows and Linux users. Probably "just works" with JRE update, unless something in JMRI breaks on Java 9 on Windows (Currently support using very large fonts as a workaround, but it quickly breaks as text overlaps widget boundaries) | 8 | 9 |
| Applescript support on MacOS X (macOS) removed from the JVM (Note that Java 7 and 8 included Applescript support but disabled it unless an additional JAR file enabling it was added by the user). | > 9 | > 9 |
| Generics for Swing classes | 7 | 7 |
| NIO improves .zip file access | 7 | 7 |
| I18N I/O improvements | 7 | 7 |
| Memory use and GC improvements (better performance) |
7 | 7 |
| Jetty Version 9 | 7 | 7 |
JUnit 4 and theassert keyword |
7 | 7 |
| Desktop class | 6 | 6 |
| JDOM2 (generics) | 6 | 6 |
| Toolbars | 6 | 6 |
| JTable Sorting | 6 | 6 |
| Webstart compatibility | 6 | 6 |
| SwingWorker | 5 | 5 (*1.4) |
| JSpinner | 5 | 5 |
| Enums | 5 | 5 |
| printf, Formatter | 5 | 5 |
| generics | 5 | 5 |
| Annotations | 5 | 1.3 |
| JavaMail | 5 | 1.3 |
| JUnit 4.0 | 5 | 1.3 |
| JDOM 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Java regexp | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Java3D | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| JavaHelp update | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Drag and Drop | 1.4 (additional improvements in 6) |
1.4, 6 |
| Logging API | 1.4 (additional improvements in 6) |
1.4, 6 |
| XML catalog resolver | 1.3? | 1.4? |
| Collections | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Java2D | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Printing update | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| JUnit 3.8 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
This section lists the most recent Java Runtime version available for various operating system versions. Please note that not all users of that operating system will have updated to this Java version; many will be using an older one.
Oracle's page on Java 1.7 requirements which says "Note: As of April 8, 2014 Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP and therefore it is no longer a supported platform." Google finds numerous pages that show how to install Java 1.7 on XP or XP SP2.
| OS and platform | Last JRE |
|---|---|
| Linux | (depends?) |
| Win 8 (32-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win 7 (32-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win Vista (32-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win Server 2008 (32-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win Web Server 2008 (32-bit) | 1.6 |
| Win 2000 (32-bit) | 1.6 |
| Win Server 2003 (32-bit) | 1.6 |
| Win 8 (64-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win Server 2012 (64-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win Server 2012 R2 (64-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win 7 (64-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win Server 2008 R2 (64-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win Server 2008 (64-bit) | 1.7 |
| Win Web Server 2008 R2 (64-bit) | 1.6 |
| Win Vista (64-bit) | 1.8 |
| Win 2003 (64-bit) | 1.6 |
| Windows XP |
1.8 Unofficial Support |
| Windows 98 (2nd Ed) | 1.5-11 |
| Windows 98 | 1.4.2_14 |
| Windows 95 | 1.3.1_20 |
| Mac OS X 10.8.3 and later on Intel | 1.8 |
| Mac OS X 10.7.3 and later on Intel | 1.7 |
| Mac OS X 10.5.8 and later on Intel | 1.6 (Apple JVM) |
| Mac OS X 10.5.7 and earlier on Intel | 1.5 (Apple JVM) |
| Mac OS X 10.3 and later on PowerPC | 1.5 (Apple JVM) |
| MacOS "Classic" | 1.1.8 |
| OS/2 | 1.3 |
See the Java.com download page for all
Operating Systems and
information on Java versions and
hardware requirements.
The following combination of JMRI - Java - Platform/OS versions was based on Oracle and OS developers sources. It's translated to the OS install instructions (follow hyperlink in OS headers):
| JMRI | Java | macOS | Windows | Linux | Ubuntu | Raspbian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | 1.8 | 10.8.3+ Mountain Lion | Win7 SP1/8/10, Vista SP2, (XP) | 5.5+ | 12.04+ | 14.04LTS |
| 3.10.1 | 1.7 | 10.7.3 Lion | Win7 SP1/8/10, Vista SP2, (XP) | 5.5+ | 12.04 | 12.04 |
| 3.10.1 | 1.6 | 10.6 Snow Leopard (JVM6) | Win2003, Win2000 (x86) | 5.5 | 10.4 | N/A |
| 2.14.1 | 1.5 | 10.5.7 Leopard (JVM5) | Vista SP1, Win2000 SP3, Win8.x (x64) | 9.04 | N/A | |
| 2.8 | 1.5 | 10.4 Tiger | Win98 (2nd Ed), XP, ME | N/A | ||
| 2.2 | 1.5 | 10.3 Panther | Win98, ME | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1.3.1 | 10.3 Panther | Win95, Win98 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| 1.6 | 1.1.8 | MacOS9.1 (MRJ) | Win95, Win98 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
JComboBox box = new JComboBox();
describes the creation of a JComboBox that selects generic (Object) items.
JComboBox<String> box = new JComboBox<>();
The most common code for getting the selected item still includes a cast:
String result = (String)box.getSelectedItem();
because the JComboBox can actually contain objects of other types (How can this happen? If
the box is editable, and somebody enters some other type).
String result = box.getItemAt(progBox.getSelectedIndex());
-Xdoclint:all,-missing,-accessibility,-html,-syntaxto drop tests for missing Javadoc tags and certain benign HTML errors. (For now)
It's possible to extend the JVM and/or JDK installed on your machine via the
endorsed-standards override mechanism and the extension
mechanism. Those extensions, if present, take precedence over code shipped with
applications like JMRI. Unfortunately, these can cause problems if the installed extensions
interfere with a JMRI component. For example, an older (or younger) version might not be
compatible, etc. It is very unusual for this to cause a problem with JMRI. You should
investigate other possible causes before looking into this one! To check for this, execute
the following from the command line: java -XX:+CheckEndorsedAndExtDirs If you
get a message about a specific directory, look there for conflicting Jar files. You should
probably consult the JMRIusers or jmri-developers mailing list for help before changing that
directory!