Java Web Start support in Java 9 and beyond

Question

I'm confused about the status of Java Web Start. On Oracle's Support Roadmap we can read this:

Support of Deployment Technology

The web deployment technology, consisting of the Java Plugin and Web Start technologies, has a shorter support lifecycle. For major releases through Java SE 8, Oracle provides five (5) years of Premier Support for these technologies. Extended Support is not available for the deployment stack, and will not be available for support beyond Java SE 9. See the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy for details.

Deployment Technology for Java SE 6 and Java SE 7 may be removed at any time after Jun 2017. Although the deployment stack may be included in Java SE 9 or later releases, Java SE 8 is the recommended and only supported version of the deployment stack.

Now, we have known for quite some time that applets and the Java Plugin were to be removed in a future version of Java, but I had never read about Java Web Start being a candidate for removal.

In Oracle's Java Platform, Standard Edition Deployment Guide#Getting Started (a Java 9 documentation page), Java Web Start is advertised as an alternative to the deprecated applet technology:

Although available and supported in JDK 9, the Applet API and the Java Plug-in are marked as deprecated in preparation for removal in a future release. Alternatives for applets and embedded JavaFX applications include Java Web Start and self-contained applications.

Am I worrying for nothing or I have missed an announcement about the deprecation of Java Web Start?

Answer 1

According to http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/9-deprecated-features-3745636.html

Java Deployment Technologies are deprecated and will be removed in a future release

Java Applet and WebStart functionality, including the Applet API, The Java plug-in, the Java Applet Viewer, JNLP and Java Web Start including the javaws tool are all deprecated in JDK 9 and will be removed in a future release.

There is a related discussion on the OpenJDK discuss list here: http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/discuss/2017-November/004586.html

Oracle will not include Java Web Start in Java SE 11 (18.9 LTS) and later.

Source: Java Client Roadmap Update 2018-03-05 (Oracle)

Answer 2

This applies to Premier, Extended and Sustaining Support. Just from the quoted text:

• only Premier Support covers the Deployment Technology;
• the Deployment Technology could be removed in future Java SE 6 and 7 releases;
• as the applet API and plug-in are deprecated, the Deployment Technology could be removed in a future major release;
• Java 9 Premier Support only lasts until March 2018.

Consequently, Java 8 is the only release that will include the full Deployment Technology with mid-term Premier Support (March 2022).

Note that it does not mean Java Web Start will disappear but removing the Applet API and the plug-in means breaking apart the Deployment Technology.