A question here ... is Java Open Source? Java is definitely not GPL, but still it is free to download,implement and develop ... so what exactly should one make out of it and what classification would it come under? [ September 27, 2005: Message edited by: shank ram ]
Sun has released certain JLS-java language specifications based on which you can also develop your version of java.Just as IBM did.IBM has its own version of java and virtual machine.Thats why it is called open source.
"There are no mistakes, only lessons"
Joined: Mar 22, 2005
Thats why it is called open source.
Don't confuse an open specification with an open-source implementation. Anybody can use the spec to implement Java, but to call it "Java", it needs to be certified by Sun, and license fees are involved. That has nothing to do with whether or not the implementation is open-source.
I don't think Java is open-source by any of the standard definitions or licenses. You're pretty restricted in what you can do with the source code, and parts of it (especially the native code and the tools) are not part of the JDK, although they are available under different licenses (which also are restrictive).
Joined: Sep 05, 2005
So, put things in perspective ... would it be correct to say:
Java is an open specification and not open source.
Are there ABSOLUTELY NO attributes of open source that is applicable to Java?