Is JDK7 backward compatible with JDK 6? Specifically, if I have some jars compiled using JDK6, will I able to use them while developing in JDK7?
JDK6 libraries - compatibility with JDK7
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You'll be able to use class files from previous JREs/JDKs. Compatibility forwards is supported. However you won't be able to go backwards (e.g. JDK7 to an earlier JRE/JDK). The class file format for JDK7 has changed to reflect such things as invokedynamic.
Some more in-depth information discussed here.
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Is JDK7 backward compatible with JDK 6?
- Read official document about incompatibilities between JDK 6 and 7
- Look at this table for independent analysis of API changes. The backward binary and source compatibility of Jre classes between 6 and 7 versions is estimated at 95%:
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The report is generated by the japi-compliance-checker tool.
Yes, you can certainly use older .jar files and .class files in your current development with newer compilers :)