Apache Tomcat 8 will implement new versions of the Servlet, JSP and EL specifications as well as adding support for the new WebSocket specification. Work is also planned for internal refactoring in a number of areas that will impact a number of Tomcat specific features. This presentation will provide an overview of the changes and new features introduced by both the updated specifications and the Tomcat specific changes. With the first stable Tomcat 8 release expected towards the middle of 2013 (once the Java EE 7 specifications are finalised) this session will enable attendees to identify the Tomcat 8 features of greatest interest to them and provide them with the information required to start planning their migration to Tomcat 8.

Outline: - Introduction: Who am I? - Background: Relationship between Tomcat versions and specification versions - Servlet 3.1 changes: AsyncIO, HTTP upgrade, clarifications, minor tweaks, TBC - JSP changes: TBD (likely to be minimal, if anything) - EL 3.0 changes: Operators for collections, new operators, Lambda expressions, static fields and methods, TBC - WebSocket: What is it, example/demo, how it compares to the Tomcat 7 WebSocket implementation, TBC - Tomcat 8 default connector: What has changed and why, benefits for users. - Tomcat 8 resources: What has changed and why, impact on features such as aliases, VirtualLoader etc. - Tomcat 8 internal clean-up: What changed, how might this affect your custom components - Current status: What is available now, what is to do before the first stable release - Tomcat 8 future plans: Further work planned during the lifetime of Tomcat 8 - How you can get involved: Pointers for those that would like to start contributing - Resources: Collection of useful Tomcat references - Questions

Note: The specifications are still being developed. The TBCs above are place-holders for those features that are added to the next version of the specification after this outline was written.