Is it advisable to download and use JDK7?

Question

I'm a first year engineering student and I use J2SE 1.3 (I know, shocking!) in college to write code and Java SE 6 at home to write code. I just visited the Java website to manually download Java SE 6 update 24 and read that JDK 7 developer access is available for download. Now should I update to Java SE 6 update 24 (I'm using Java SE 6 update 23 right now) or should I go ahead and download JDK 7? Also, if I download JDK 7, does Eclipse support it or is the Netbeans IDE the only one to support JDK 7? I use Java only to make applications that are entirely textual and localised, no GUI or web involved. So is it worth choosing the developers edition over the stable edition?

Edit: I use Eclipse Helios v3.6.2 + Java SE 6 update 23 at home and Kawa IDE (no clue which version) + J2SE 1.3 in college

Answer 1

I will advise you to go for stable version as you are a student. JDK 7 is still in preview release. So just download stable version and learn Java first then you should go for preview release.

As for the IDE I will suggest you to use Eclipse. I don't know whether they have announced support for JDK 7 or not. But it will affect you. Eclipse support JDK 6.

Just go for Eclipse + JDK 6.

Answer 2

Other people have focused on your choices at home. I would say it's far more important to have a conversation with your college as to why they're still using Java 1.3 - it's over 10 years old, is incredibly slow compared to modern Javas and is really not helping you and your fellow students. Kawa IDE has also been discontinued for many years.

You should be focusing on learning how to develop code, not being forced to fight an ancient environment.

A complete modern suite (Java 6, Eclipse or another IDE) is available at no cost to your institution - and in fact it will make their lives easier, as the amount of online support available for a modern suite is musch greater.

You don't say where in the world you are, but you probably have a Java User Group (JUG) near you who may well be able to help your college get their systems upgraded. It could make your course (and that of the students who come after you) so much easier.

Answer 3

is it worth choosing the developers edition over the stable edition?

I would say no since you are at starting stage. Even updating from Java SE 6 update 23 to 24 does not make a difference at this stage.

Answer 4

I downloaded and use on a daily basis a Java 7 (a release build intended for customer testing) without any particular comments, but that was naturally because I wanted to be assured that it did work like that. I use it with Eclipse 3.6.2 without any issues.

For "I just want it to work" get the latest official build as recommended by the http://java.com download page. When installed you should upgrade your installation when the update mechanism prompts you to (it can be asked to check now ).

I would suggest you just take the JRE http://java.com thinks you should use, and then run Eclipse on that. Eclipse just needs a JRE, not a JDK. Netbeans need a JDK because that is where the compiler lives, so just grab a combined download which is known to work.

You can go into the tedious details of Java versions later if you really feel like it. For basic development it is not needed.