Jakarta’s Big Move: Why Java’s Source Code Transfer to Eclipse Foundation Matters

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Here’s a detailed write-up expanding on your request about the Spring Boot 3.x and Jakarta EE migration:

Spring Boot 3.x and Jakarta EE Migration

1. Background

With the release of Spring Boot 3.0 (November 2022), the Spring ecosystem aligned with Jakarta EE 9+, which introduced a critical namespace change:

  • Old Java EE packages: javax.*
  • New Jakarta EE packages: jakarta.*

This change was mandated after Oracle handed over Java EE to the Eclipse Foundation, where it became Jakarta EE. The goal was to detach the APIs from Oracle’s trademark and governance restrictions.

📖 Reference: Spring Boot 3.0 Release Notes

2. Why This Is Important

  1. Compatibility with Future Java Versions

    • Java EE development is frozen under javax.*.
    • Future improvements (e.g., CDI, Servlet API, JPA, Bean Validation) will only appear under jakarta.*.
    • Without migration, projects risk stagnation.

  2. Library Ecosystem Alignment

    • All libraries using javax.* (Hibernate, Tomcat, Jetty, Jersey, etc.) needed updates.
    • If you depend on outdated libraries, you’ll face NoClassDefFoundError or ClassNotFoundException.

  3. Native Image / Modern Runtime Support

    • Jakarta EE APIs are being adapted for GraalVM native images, cloud-native workloads, and modular runtime environments.

3. Example Code Migration

Before (Spring Boot 2.x with Java EE / javax):

import javax.persistence.Entity;
import javax.persistence.Id;
import javax.validation.constraints.NotNull;

@Entity
public class Book {
    @Id
    private Long id;

    @NotNull
    private String title;
}

After (Spring Boot 3.x with Jakarta EE / jakarta):

import jakarta.persistence.Entity;
import jakarta.persistence.Id;
import jakarta.validation.constraints.NotNull;

@Entity
public class Book {
    @Id
    private Long id;

    @NotNull
    private String title;
}

🔍 Only the package names changed, but this rippled across all JPA, validation, and servlet-based code.

4. How to Achieve Migration

  1. Upgrade Dependencies

    • Ensure all dependencies (Spring Data JPA, Hibernate, Tomcat, etc.) are Jakarta-compatible.
    • Example: Hibernate 6.x → supports jakarta.persistence.

  2. Refactor Imports Automatically

    • Tools like OpenRewrite can refactor javax.* → jakarta.*.

    • Gradle plugin:

      ./gradlew rewriteRun

  3. Adjust Third-Party Libraries

    • Check transitive dependencies. Some libraries may still be tied to javax.
    • Replace with Jakarta-compatible forks or upgraded versions.

5. Problems That May Arise

  1. Dependency Mismatches

    • Example: Old Hibernate 5.x expects javax.persistence, while Spring Boot 3.x provides jakarta.persistence.
    • This results in runtime errors.

  2. IDE / Tooling Conflicts

    • If your IDE suggests old javax.* imports, compilation will break.

  3. Interop Between Old and New APIs

    • You cannot mix javax.persistence.Entity and jakarta.persistence.Entity in the same app.
    • Migration often requires a “big bang” upgrade.

6. Applicability Across Java Ecosystem

  • Servlet Containers:

    • Tomcat 10+, Jetty 11+, Undertow 2.3+ → all switched to jakarta.servlet.*.
    • Old filters and servlets using javax.servlet must be migrated.

  • Persistence (JPA / Hibernate):

    • Hibernate 6.x uses jakarta.persistence.
    • EclipseLink also migrated.

  • Validation:

    • Bean Validation (javax.validation) → now jakarta.validation.

  • Security:

    • Spring Security integrates with jakarta.servlet filters.

  • Jakarta Faces / CDI / EJB:

    • Entire Jakarta EE platform (Faces, CDI, EJB, JMS, JSON-B) moved to jakarta.*.

  • Frameworks Beyond Spring:

    • Quarkus, Micronaut, Payara, and WildFly are also aligned with Jakarta.

7. Strategic Implications

  • Migration is a forced modernization step:

    • Aligns enterprise Java with cloud-native architectures.
    • Enables native images, modular runtimes, and observability hooks.

  • For enterprise users with legacy javax-based systems, this is a major migration project.

✅ In summary: Spring Boot 3.x’s Jakarta EE migration is not just a namespace change — it’s a foundational shift ensuring future compatibility, modern tooling, and cloud-native readiness. However, it requires careful dependency alignment and often all-or-nothing migration to avoid interoperability issues.

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