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  1. JDK
  2. JDK-8215578

Remove javadoc support for HTML 4.

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Details

    • CSR
    • Resolution: Approved
    • P3
    • 13
    • tools
    • None
    • behavioral
    • low
    • This will affect anyone who is still generating docs in HTML 4 format. Users may have to modify their documentation comments if they utilize features that are no longer available in HTML 5.
    • add/remove/modify command line option, File or wire format

    Description

      Summary

      Remove the -html4 option.

      Problem

      The world is moving to HTML 5; javadoc has supported HTML 5 since JDK 9, and warned about the use of HTML 4 since JDK 11. It is a maintenance overhead to support both versions, and there is little reason to do so.

      Solution

      Remove support for HTML 4, and with it the -html4 option.

      The html5 option will remain, but will become a no-op, since HTML 5 is the only output format used. The command-line help and man page should be updated to note the option is just retained for compatibility and is no longer necessary to be used.

      javac supports a related option:

        --doclint-format {html4,html5}
              Specify the format for documentation comments

      We should remove html4 from the set of applicable values, and update the command-line help and man page.

      Specification

      The html4 option for the standard doclet will be removed.

      The html4 value for the javac --doclet-format option will be removed.

      Attached diff of Javac and Javadoc man pages.

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              tmeng Tina Meng (Inactive)
              jjg Jonathan Gibbons
              Priya Lakshmi Muthuswamy (Inactive)
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              Dates

                Created:
                Updated:
                Resolved: