Java Classloader - how to reference different versions of a jar

Question

This is a common problem. I\'m using 2 libraries A.jar and B.jar and these depend on different versions of the same jar.
Let\'s say tha

Answer 1

Many libraries are backward compatible. But not all..

---

The old way is to try to depend from only one version.

It is probably safer to compile both with the same version (latest).
At least you get compile-time errors, instead of runtime errors.

If needed, you can modify a little bit your library that works with the old dependency...
This would require access to the source...

---

Please note that compile-time compatibility will not guarantee correct runtime behavior either. It is one step, then you can:

• read the WhatsNew file for the new version of the jar
• look on the Internet for users reporting compatibility problems
• write JUnits
• compare the codes in both jars