In recent years, Java has seen significant advancements, with each new version introducing powerful features and optimizations. If you're still running on Java 8, you're missing out on substantial improvements in performance, syntax, and security. Upgrading from Java 8 to Java 17 can seem daunting, but Amazon Q’s transformation capabilities make it easier by automating some of the more tedious steps. In this post, we’ll walk through how to upgrade your Java 8 code to Java 17 using Amazon Q Transformation.

Why Upgrade to Java 17?

Java 17 is a long-term support (LTS) release, which means it will receive updates for several years. Some of the key features and improvements in Java 17 include:

• Sealed classes to improve inheritance control.
• Pattern matching for instance of checks, simplifying code.
• New garbage collection optimizations, improving performance.
• Text blocks for multi-line strings.
• Records to simplify data-carrier classes.
• Better JVM performance and security updates.

By upgrading, you can benefit from these features and future-proof your application.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

1. Amazon Q setup – You should have access to the Amazon Q console or API.
2. Java 8 source code – The codebase should be compiled and running without errors in Java 8.

Step-by-Step Guide to Transform Java 8 to Java 17

Assess Your Codebase

Before transforming the code, it’s essential to analyze your existing Java 8 code. Amazon Q provides an analysis report that helps identify potential issues or deprecated features.

Steps To Transform Code
Open Your Java8 Code in Intellij/Eclips IDE

• Select JDK 8 from Structure

• Check The POM & Java Version

• Go to the Amazon Q Console.

• Select Transformations

• Amazon Q will Fetch all the project that are available to transform in current directory

• Click On Confirm Button to start Transformation

• We can see the build started

• We can also see the build progress by clicking on build progress button

• Amazon Q will analyze the code in secure environment

• AmazonQ is analyzing code

• Amazon Q Generated the transformation plan

• Transformation Started

• Applying Dependency and code changes

• Upgrade Deprecated code
  

• Finalize code and generating summary
  

• Transformation completed
  

• Transformation Details
  

• Transformation Summary on Q Dashboard
  

• Dependency Replaced By Amazon Q
  

• Deprecated code replaced by Q
  

• All Files Details
  

• Transformation Plan
  

• Finalize code summary
  

• View Difference Dashboard
  

• Applying the patches
  

• Updated POM File
  

• Updated JDK
  

• Run & Test Application
  

• 

Test the Transformed Code

Once Amazon Q completes the transformation, it’s crucial to run tests to ensure everything works as expected. Run your unit tests and integration tests to confirm there are no breaking changes

• Application Running Successfully

Pay close attention to:

• Removed APIs that are no longer available in Java 17.
• Changes in libraries.
• Deprecated syntax that will not be supported in Java 17.

If you have a CI/CD pipeline in place:

1. Deploy the transformed code into a staging environment.
2. Execute your automated test suite.
3. Check for any errors or edge cases that weren’t captured during the transformation.

Manual Refinements

While Amazon Q can handle much of the code transformation, there may be some sections of code that require manual intervention. Review the following:

• Reflection-based code might need adjustments for newer Java versions.
• Third-party library compatibility – Ensure that any external libraries are compatible with Java 17.
• Custom JVM settings – Java 17 may require updated JVM settings for optimal performance.

Deploy the Upgraded Application

Once the testing is successful and any manual refinements are complete, you’re ready to deploy your updated Java 17 application.

• Update your build tools (Maven/Gradle) to use Java 17.
• Deploy the new code version to your production environment.
• Monitor the application closely for any runtime issues or performance improvements.

Conclusion

Upgrading from Java 8 to Java 17 offers substantial benefits, but the process can be time-consuming without the right tools. By using Amazon Q, you can automate many of the steps, from analyzing code to generating new Java 17-compliant snippets. Follow this guide to streamline your migration and take full advantage of the latest Java features, resulting in more efficient, secure, and maintainable code.

Happy coding!

This guide provides an overview of how you can efficiently migrate Java 8 code to Java 17 using Amazon Q transformation tools. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out!