I have developed a Java Application in Eclipse using JDK 1.7.0, the application runs and everything works as expected.
Now I would like to send the application to a colleague of mine who is using a different version of the JDK. He is using 1.6.x.
I am not interested in him opening up the application and debugging through it in Eclipse. I would only like him to run it. If I make a runnable .jar of the application and send that to him, would it work even though he has a different JDK installed on his machine?
Thank You.
You need to compile it using JDK 1.6 (or lower). Provided your code doesn't use features from Java 7, you won't have to change anything in your sources
It would work if your colleague had a newer JRE than the JDK you used to compile it. All versions of JRE are backwards-compatible with all class files built with previous versions, but the opposite can clearly not work because new versions introduce new features. Your colleague will get an UnsupportedClassVersionError.
However, it is easy to set up in Eclipse the target class version for your project: go to Project Properties, Java Compiler, and under JDK Compliance choose the version 1.6.
Needless to say, this will fail if your source code uses any features or library calls which the version 6 does not support.
Related
I am using JDK8 on my normal desktop and I have a separate linux box that I am trying to run the Java program on.
The problem I'm running into is that the linux box is running jdk7, so the computer has JRE7 basically that it is running off of. My question is, is it possible to create a jar file in JDK8 that will be compatible with java 7?
I'm using IntelliJ to compile. I tried to compile in 1.7, but it gave an error when I did end up trying to do it. I compile it here:
In 1.8 it works fine to compile, but when I try to compile in 1.7 it doesn't work.
I know the short answer is to update the linux to JRE 8. But I am curious, is there a way to make it backwards compatible? Or is the other answer to simply install JDK7 on the desktop in order for it to run on the linux box using JRE7?
Java programs built with JDK 8 will only run on machines running JRE 8 (or higher).
I found this when trying to compile classes on my local Linux machine (using JDK 8) and deploying to a remote server running JRE 7. The classes just wouldn't work (like you're finding).
If you want to use JRE 8 on linux, I recommend using the oracle-java8-installer package from webupd8team. Installation instructions found here (assuming Debian based distro).
If you want to compile to JDK 7, it's not good enough to only have JDK 8 installed and pick to compile 1.7. You need JDK 7 installed to and restage your project to use JDK 7.
The thing you have to remember is that the difference between JRE/JDK versions is not just the extra features developers can use (e.g Lambda functions) but it's also that the JRE itself is improved (efficiency, garbage collection, etc.).
As a extreme example: If you wrote code that only used JDK 1 features but compiled it using JDK 8, it wouldn't run on a machine running JRE 1 because the Java classes had been compiled with JRE 8 in mind.
Do note though, that if you're Java Code uses only features from JDK 7 or 6 etc., you might think it good practice to compile using the minimum JDK required to allow for compatibility with more machines. Well...you'd have that compatibility but at a cost of using inefficient, out of date, possibly vulnerable compiled classes (At little extreme, but you get my point).
Are you using any new Java 8 features? Because if you are, this means you cannot build the project against the JRE7.
If you are not using any Java 8 features, you can build to Java 7 most easily by downloading the JDK7 and switching the project to use that instead of the JDK8.
You should also set project language level to 1.7 (and module language level(s) as well, if they're different). It's done in Project Structure settings dialog. After that the project should compile.
Note that you shouldn't use any of the APIs that appeared in 1.8, but such usages will most likely be highlighted in the editor.
How can I change the Projects Runtime Platform?
(standard NetBeans [8.1] Java Project [Java Application])
Details:
using Ubuntu with NetBeans 8.1
I have installed JDK 1.6, JDK 1.7 + JDK 1.8
My projects platform is Java 6.
My systems default Java is Java 7.
NetBeans-IDE was started with Java 8.
When I run the project via the IDE (Run project), the Project-Platform is used (which is Java 6).
I cannot change the Runtime Platform!
It's always: Project Platform
I tried to Manage Platforms..., but I still can't change the value of the Runtime Platform-ComboBox.
EDIT:
As I wrote in the comments, I don't want to change the Project-Platform.
The project should be compiled with Java 6 but run with Java 8 (when click on Run project).
What I want is:
Project-Platform = Java 6 (used to compile),
Runtime-Platform = Java 8 (used to run).
How can I change the Projects Runtime Platform?
Unfortunately you can't. As you point out, its value can only be Project Platform. Of course that invites the question "What is the point of even having that Runtime Platform field?".
I suspect that it may have been (unwisely) added to the GUI so that at some time in the future it will be possible to actually select a different JDK to run against. There is an open Bug Report for this: Bug 186747 - Can't Build and Run with Different Java Versions.
It's also worth noting that the Help documentation for the Run screen does not mention that Runtime Platform field. My own view is that the field should be removed until it serves a useful purpose.
What I want is: Project-Platform = Java 6 (used to compile),
Runtime-Platform = Java 8 (used to run).
Unfortunately that can't be done, as shown by the open bug. The best you can do right now is:
Create platforms for JDK 6 and JDK 8 in NetBeans.
Set the Java Platform to JDK 1.6 on the Libraries screen, and set the Source/Binary Format to JDK 6 on the Sources screen, then build to verify that no invalid APIs are being used.
Switch the Java Platform to 1.8 on the Libraries screen to run your 1.6 code under 1.8.
I realize that you don't want to do that, but unfortunately there's no silver bullet in the current release of NetBeans (8.2).
An alternative approach would be to build and run using only JDK 8, but include the Animal Sniffer Maven plugin "for checking projects against the signatures of an API", to verify that your 1.6 code was not using illegal APIs. But of course that's only viable for Maven projects.
Please look at Netbeans Project Setup - Setting the Target JDK in a Project
You just have to change the Runtime Platform at the Libraries option, that's all.
Just went through this pain for Apache NetBeans 14. I was trying to set a remote debug for a Raspberry Pi.
It works only if the jdk match on both the local and remote versions. In my case I set them both to 17.
I would have expected that the default jdk on the local machine should have been able to be changed but I fail to determine how.
I am running Ubuntu on the local machine so maybe the platform cannot be changed (don't know). Moving on.
Changed runtime platform
May be its a newbie question...
I want to use latest eclipse available. It requires Java 8. However, our company uses java 6 for all projects.
So:
Should I download eclipse that is compatible with Java 6 only ?
or I can configure Java 6 for all the projects regardless what eclipse uses?
Would there be any issues, if its possible to use two versions (one for eclipse and another one for project)?
I know its a newbie questions. But the search did not yield a proper response.
no, you can use the latest Java for Eclipse. The JDK used for project can be configured per project or per workspace. You can install as much JDKs as you desire. i.e. You can start Eclipse using a 32Bit JDK while using a 64Bit JDK for Java EE-Servers or Projects, it has basically nothing to do with the JRE used for Eclipse. You just need to set it up.
Here is a small explanation of my problem.
I have an application which was compiled with java 1.5. This application is installed on 2000 pc (blockboxes) installed at customer premisses.
The jar of my application is often updated to add new feature and fixes, but for technical reasons, it is not very easy to update the java version, so I must keep using Java 1.5 on those existing machines.
Few months ago, I got a request for a new requirement for this application. To fulfil this task I have added the usage of Hazelcast in this application.
My problem if the following:
- Hazelacast jar file needs Java 1.6 or above, so I must compile my application with 1.6
- The new functionality using hazelcast will only be activated on demand by settings a new parameter. This means that it will not be used in the 2000 already installed blackboxes.
- All new blackboxes will be installed with Jave 1.6 or above to be able to use the Hazealcast functionality.
My problem is that I want to have a unique source code and unique version of my application for old blackboses using Java 1.5 and new blackboxes using 1.6 or above.
In the beginning, my idea was to always compile with version 1.5 and make sure that the new functionality would only be activated in blockboses using java 1.6 or above. This option is not working, because when I compile with 1.5, the compiler complains that Hazelcast jar file needs 1.6 :(
The second option would be to compile with 1.6, but then I cannot be sure that my application will still work properly on all blackboxes using 1.5. :(
I'm would like to know if someone here would know how to solve this kind of problem?
Just let me know if my explanation is not clear ;)
Thanks in advance for your help.
JVM is Backward compatible.You can run almost all code from Java 1 on Java 8.
So the best way is to use the option two. Compile it with 1.6 on some testing machines. And if it works( which most probably will) you don't have to make much change to the application .
You can compile your code to Java 1.5 bytecode using JDK 1.6, just take care of the following:
-source=1.5 and -target=1.5 compiler options
bootclasspath should point to rt.jar from JRE 1.5
See this post for more info: http://www.draconianoverlord.com/2014/04/01/jdk-compatibility.html
The post also recommends simply building your application with older JDK if possible. You need to figure out a different build process and exclude incompatible libraries from the classpath. If you use Maven, consider having two pom.xml files, with an optional parent file.
So basically, at school our machines have an older version of the Java JDK installed, and I want to work on a netbeans project on home. I have it set up through the github and wanted to know if switching between JDK versions will mess up my project at all, if the older version will allow me to even open the newer version. And, if I can't, was curious on how to open a project in an older version of the JDK.
Thanks!
You just simply need to not use language features introduced after the version your school uses. Netbeans will give you hints if you attempt to use something when the version doesn't support it however (e.g. Diamond operators in 6, or using Lambdas when not using Java 8). So overall I would say you shouldn't be running into any issues, you can even make netbeans recognize the sources as an older version of Java by right clicking your project, and going to:
Properties > Sources > Source/Binary > 1.6 (Or whatever version you need)