The Java Enterprise Edition 7 (Java EE 7) specification is now inside its public review process with the full spec available for inspection by developers. Thought to be positioned for final release this coming spring, this release is characterized by a focus on productivity and simplification.

The current push is also dedicated to positioning Java EE 7 compatibility and support for a number of very important standards including HTML5, WebSockets, and JSON — a modern HTTP client API also joins this list.

NOTE: The WebSocket specification — developed as part of the HTML5 initiative — introduced the WebSocket JavaScript interface, which defines a full-duplex single socket connection over which messages can be sent between client and server. The WebSocket standard simplifies much of the complexity around bidirectional web communication and connection management.

This current review of Java EE 7 is a work-in-progress groundwork project that will improve cloud support in Java EE 8 when it arrives. The spec addresses matters such as resource definition metadata, improved security configuration, and database schema generation.

Oracle vice president of development Cameron Purdy has talked publicly at JavaOne since 2011, discussing Java's state of readiness for the cloud. Focusing the teams on standardization of Java at both the application and infrastructure level for the cloud, the road ahead looks more positive with some definitive decision-making now underway.

The Java Enterprise Edition 7 will also feature a refreshed, revised, and simplified Java Message Service (JMS) 2.0 API.

Speaking on the subject of the EE platform last year, Steven G. Harris SVP for fusion middleware product development said that Java is already the most pervasive server-side development and deployment platform for the cloud. "With Java EE 7, enterprise developers and deployers will see additional cloud-specific innovation built into the standard and available across many vendor implementations," he said.