move to Java/JRE 11 or higher

[jurgenvinju]

This is to register our need to move all usethesource projects to Java 11 (and the associated JRE)

It requires us to synchronize the effort across all projects, hence this issue at usethesource.

Motivation

• Eclipse has moved to JRE 11 and JRE 11 is not backward compatible with Java 8
• Java 11 and subsequent versions have many improvements (speed and API)
• Currently Eclipse can not be tested by @jurgenvinju on his new machine due to this

Vote

This is to vote that we will move to Java 11, but not when. We have to plan the timing carefully so as not to interfere with other complex projects such as the compiler and the LSP.

• [x] @DavyLandman
• [ ] @tvdstorm
• [x] @jurgenvinju
• [ ] @PaulKlint
• [ ] @rodinaarssen // this will have to be done in clair as well
• [ ] @mahills // this also has implications for php-air I suspect

Timing

When to do this? The compiler project would be halted by this; i.e. new bugs caused by the move would mix in between the last bugs to solve. Otherwise we do not expect much interference with other projects. Maintenance on the rascal-eclipse project would become possible again after the move to Java 11. So we should not postpone this indefinetely..

Should we not aim higher?

Any reason why we do not move to a higher Java version than 11 immediately?

[jurgenvinju]

The following projects have been moved:

• [x] rascal
• [x] vallang
• [x] typepal
• [x] capsule
• [x] rascal-core
• [x] rascal-eclipse
• [x] impulse
• [x] rascal-language-servers
• [x] rascal-maven-plugin
• [x] salix

And with that this issue could be closed.

[jurgenvinju]

Note that these projects have not been turned into "modules" yet in the Java 9 sense, and this is necessary also because of the very concrete issue usethesource/vallang#119

[jurgenvinju]

These are projects which will need to be upgraded still to java 11, which are not on usethesource (yet):

• [x] flybytes
• [x] clair
• [ ] php-air
• [ ] python-air
• [ ] js-air

[jurgenvinju]

closing this issue because the bulk of it has been done. the library projects that have to be moved are a separated issue.