Getting Involved

There are five main groups involved with the JCP. Each group plays a defined role that ensures that the JCP delivers Java technology specifications that meet the needs of developers and organizations, and ensure the continued stability and cross-platform compatibility of Java technologies.

JCP Members

Any individual or organization can become a member of the JCP. To become a member, you must sign the Java Specification Agreement (JSPA) and pay a fee, which, at the time of writing, is $5,000 per year for commercial entities and $2,000 per year for all other entities.

JCP members are responsible for the submission of JSRs that are then further developed by Expert Groups. These groups consist of experts that JCP members may nominate either themselves or other members for. One JCP member will lead each Expert Group and is responsible for forming the group and adding experts to that group. JCP members also have the right to vote on Executive Committee ballots; you will learn about these a little later.

Expert Groups

Each expert group is responsible for forming a specification and its RI and TCK from a JSR. In addition, once they form the specification, they are responsible for the maintenance of that specification.

When JCP members make nominations for Expert Group members, they ensure that the group will consist of individuals who are experts in the technology to which the specification relates. In addition, they ensure that the Expert Group includes enough depth and breadth of knowledge to enable the final specification to be of real use to developers and organizations.

The Public

Any member of the public can become involved with the JCP without having to become a full member of the JCP or pay a fee. The main ways that members of the public can become involved are by reviewing and commenting on

• Any specification JCP members develop

• Any new or revised JSR

• Proposed error corrections and modifications to existing specifications

Process Management Office (PMO)

The PMO is a group within Sun Microsystems that manages the day-to-day running of the JCP. The group does not involve itself with actual formation of JSRs or the final specifications.

Executive Committees

There are two Executive Committees, each overseeing different elements of the Java platform. One committee looks after the Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition, and the other looks after the Micro Edition. It is the responsibility of an Executive Committee to oversee the work of the Expert Groups to ensure that specifications do not overlap or conflict with each other. The Executive Committee is not involved with the JCP on a day-to-day process, but instead, reviews the work of Expert Groups at defined points of the JCP. Specifically, an Executive Committee selects JSRs for development, provides guidance for the PMO, and approves

• Draft specifications

• Final specifications

• Maintenance revisions of a specification

• The transfer of maintenance responsibilities between JCP members

Each Executive Committee consists of sixteen seats. Of these, only one is permanent--held by Sun Microsystems. Of the remaining seats, ten are ratified and five are elected. Each of these seats is held for three years, and its holder is determined on a rolling basis; thus, five seats are either ratified or held open for election each year.