Is there a versioning process for the Javadoc Tool?

Question

Is there is a versioning process for introducing new features into the Javadoc spec? My question is inspired by the seemingly new tags: @apiNote, @implSpec, and @implNote that appear in Java 8 source docs. I'm aware that these tags are not standard and subject to change--if it was decided by the Java Gods that these tags are standard in a new version of Javadoc, where could a developer find this information?

I've read Oracle docs that reference Javadoc versions starting at 1.1 and ending at 1.4, which could lead one to believe that with each Java version there's a new Javadoc version, but I can't find any evidence to support this assumption.

The only legitimate reference I've ever found related to Javadoc spec/best practices/accepted tags is: How to Write Doc Comments for the Javadoc Tool.

Answer 1

The javadoc tool does indeed gain new capabilities with each major release of Java. If you visit http://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/technotes/guides/javadoc/ and look for the API Enhancements section, you will find links describing new capabilities of the javadoc tool for each version since 1.4.