[COLLECTIONS-527] Please create a version commons-collections 3.x for jdk 8 compatibility

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Blocker
• Resolution: Won't Fix
• Labels: java8 jdk8
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Ignat Alexeyenko
• Created: 15/May/14 10:12
• Updated: 27/Nov/15 21:47
• Resolved: 16/May/14 23:00

Description

Could you make a 3.x or 3.2.x release compatible with JDK8 ?

org.apache.commons.collections.MultiMap {
   public Object remove(Object key, Object item);
}

is not compatible with JDK's 8 Map

java.util.Map {
   boolean remove(Object key, Object value);
}

This causes bugs in projects, who run jdk8 and even compilation failures - for these, who implement common's MultiMap.

Compilation Error
If anyone implement MultiMap in their code, compilation fails with the error:

MyMultiHashMap.java:[11,7] error: remove(Object,Object) in MultiHashMap cannot implement remove(Object,Object) in Map
[ERROR] return type Object is not compatible with boolean

Reasoning
JDK 8 is here and being adopted. collection-commons are not yet compatible with Java 8. For many big project switch to commons-collections 4.x is not an option - some transitional release version needs to be required.

Alternative would be for companies to fork commons-collections and create their internal artifact. Why do it if the official compatibility version can be created?

Thanks!