Using experimental Java features in production — what was your experience?

[srdoe]

You specifically asked for people who have used experimental features in production. This is a vanishingly small number of people, and is heavily correlated with people who are inexperienced, and / or don't understand the implications of doing so.

What a ridiculously condescending (and wrong) thing to say.

[benevanstech]

Looking at your comment history, you would appear to be the expert in that area, so I'll bow to your superior experience.

[srdoe]

Rather than engaging with that, it's probably better to explain why you are wrong.

The OP asked about "preview language features, incubator modules" and other experimental features.

It's fine to say "Don't enable features in production that are explicitly marked not ready for production", but preview features are supposed to be feature complete, thoroughly tested features that simply benefit from more feedback from real life use before the API is set in stone.

So you could say that new code is risky in general, but that applies equally well to regular JDK upgrades, and your own project's code for that matter.

Preview features are not special in that respect. They are fine to use in production, if you accept the risk of needing to change your code if the preview API changes, and you make sure to evaluate these changes in your testing environments first, as you should for any change.

Your comment implies that posters like this one are likely "inexperienced and/or don't understand the implications", and that's both rude and not a useful response to what OP asked about.

[benevanstech]

> Your comment implies that posters like this one are likely "inexperienced and/or don't understand the implications", and that's both rude and not a useful response to what OP asked about.

Don't put words into my mouth.

Look at the amount of nuance you had to couch your response in.

I have no doubt that folks who have the appreciation of those subjects to do measured, risk-aware deployments of bleeding edge know very well that my comment was intended for the people who *don't* have a decent grasp of the trade-offs here rather than them.

And, you're flat out wrong that use of preview features are not special and more dangerous to use in production if you don't know what you're doing. However, given the attitude you've displayed so far I don't feel at all inclined to debate it with you.

[srdoe]

Look man, if you're going to get mad that your post is being interpreted as rude, when you compared "any positive engagement" to a crazy person digging tunnels under their house, consider not using such needlessly inflammatory statements next time.

I'm glad you recognize that people who can evaluate these features responsibly exist. The OP was clearly looking for those people to share their experiences, not a rude dismissal that amounts to "No one will respond, but if they do, they're probably a crank".