Android moves from Oracle’s Java Code ecosystem to Open Java

Oracle, which develops Java, has two implementations of these libraries: the proprietary JDK version and the open source OpenJDK version.

To support the development of apps in the Java programming language, Android offers certain Java API libraries that are broken into two parts: the APIs to the libraries, and the implementing code developed by Google that make said libraries work. The move has been confirmed by Google to VentureBeat.

Android is an open source project and anyone can see what’s happening, but it’s a big project and no one keeps track of all the commits.

So far 8902 files have been changed, and Google says that it will simplify the code on which they build apps – a common codebase for these Java API libraries, as opposed to multiple codebases. The change will probably be a footnote for Android developers, and won’t affect end users at all. Harmony was meant to be a free and open source implementation of the Java runtime and associated libraries and tools, but Sun made a decision to open source Java under a GNU GPL license as the OpenJDK project and which has later become the reference implementation for the Java Platform SE.

Oracle and Google haven’t been on the best of terms over the use of the former’s proprietary Java platform, reported Android Headlines.

“Initial import of OpenJdk files”. Build ojluni into core-oj jar.

When Google started working on Android after buying the company with the same name in 2005, they chose to create an application framework and development tools based on Harmony.

While Google recently revealed that its dispute with Oracle hasn’t settled yet, it refused to comment on whether the code change is related to that. A court decision in 2012 had ruled in favor of Google, who had argued that the Java APIs were essential for software innovation.

Google said that the reason was the release of Java 8 a year ago and the introduction of new language features such as Iambdas. By this way, Google will create a common code base for the developers. At the heart of the issue is Google’s usage of Java in Android Operating System (OS) without asking, as if it’s open-source and community licensed.