Does Spring 3.0.x support Java 8? In Spring Starter I found sourceCompatibility = '17' default for 3.0.x and above – Java

The Problem:

The Spring Starter is showing ‘sourceCompatibility = ’17” for Spring Boot 3.0.5, even when Java 8 is selected. Is this expected behavior, or is something wrong?

The Solutions:

Solution 1: Spring Boot 3.0.x does not support Java 8

Spring Boot 3.0.x requires Java 17 or above, as specified in the official documentation. This is contrary to your expectation of using Java 8 with Spring Boot 3.0.x. When you selected Java 8 in Spring Starter, it set the sourceCompatibility to 17, indicating that the code should be compatible with Java 17, not Java 8.

Solution 2:

Spring Boot 3 and above **requires Java 17**. It is mandatory to use Java 17 if you want to work with Spring Boot 3. The reason behind this is that Java 17 is a Long Term Support (LTS) release with extended support lifetime, which aligns with Spring Boot’s LTS policy. By requiring Java 17, Spring Boot ensures compatibility with a stable and widely supported Java version, providing a more reliable and long-lasting platform for running Spring applications.

Solution 3: Specify Java 8 for Spring Boot 2.X

Spring Boot 3.0.x requires Java 17 as a minimum version. To use Java 8, you need to use a Spring Boot 2.X version.

Specify the Spring Boot 2.X version in your project’s pom.xml file, as shown in the below code:

<parent>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
    <version>2.7.18</version>
    <relativePath/>
</parent>

Video Explanation:

The following video, titled "Change Java version for a Spring Boot project (STS, NetBeans and ...", provides additional insights and in-depth exploration related to the topics discussed in this post.

How to properly change Java version for a Spring Boot project in Spring Tool Suite, Apache NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA - with Maven.