Isn’t java generally backwards compatible? I switch java versions willy nilly in my (small) projects and never really noticed any problems when upgrading the version
Yes sure, but not forwards compatible. That means if you need to fix a bug or add a feature in a project that is build on java 8, you cannot use language features from later versions. They are pretty important features at that, like a workable Http client, modules, container compatibility, records and enhanced switch statements. It is not fun to work like that, it’s what makes good programmers want to become chicken farmers.
Isn’t java generally backwards compatible? I switch java versions willy nilly in my (small) projects and never really noticed any problems when upgrading the version
Yes sure, but not forwards compatible. That means if you need to fix a bug or add a feature in a project that is build on java 8, you cannot use language features from later versions. They are pretty important features at that, like a workable Http client, modules, container compatibility, records and enhanced switch statements. It is not fun to work like that, it’s what makes good programmers want to become chicken farmers.