Why IDEA No Longer Offers Java 8 for Spring Boot Projects and How to Use Java 8 with Alibaba’s Start Service
The article explains that Spring Boot 3.x drops support for Java 8, causing IntelliJ IDEA’s Spring Initializr to list only JDK 17 or higher, and shows how developers can still create Java 8 Spring Boot projects by switching the Initializr URL to Alibaba Cloud’s start service.
Author "Yu Pi" expresses frustration that when creating a Spring Boot project with IntelliJ IDEA, the option to select Java 8 has disappeared.
The issue is that IDEA’s built‑in Spring Initializr now only offers JDK versions >= 17.
Research reveals that Spring Boot 2.x is no longer officially supported; Spring Boot 3.x, the current version, requires a minimum JDK version of 17.
Consequently, the official Spring Initializr (both the IDE plugin and the web version) no longer provides a Java 8 option.
Rather than giving up Java 8, the author suggests using Alibaba Cloud’s start service (https://start.aliyun.com/) which still supports Java 8 scaffolding.
In IDEA, simply change the Spring Initializr server URL to point to the Alibaba service.
The author asks readers what they think and whether they will continue using Java 8 and Spring Boot 2.x or adopt the newer technology.
IT Services Circle
Delivering cutting-edge internet insights and practical learning resources. We're a passionate and principled IT media platform.
How this landed with the community
Was this worth your time?
0 Comments
Thoughtful readers leave field notes, pushback, and hard-won operational detail here.