Eclipse: Syntax Error, parameterized types are only if source level is 1.5

Question

I try to use the following code:

ArrayList
Map

Eclipse complains about both of them: Syntax Error, para

Answer 1

Yes. Regardless of what anyone else says, Eclipse contains some bug(s) that sometimes causes the workspace setting (e.g. 1.6 compliant) to be ignored. This is even when the per-project settings are disabled, the workspace settings are correct (1.6), the JRE is correctly set, there is only a 1.6 JRE defined, etc., all the things that people generally recommend when questions about this issue are posted to various forums (as they often are).

We hit this irregularly, but often, and typically when there is some unrelated issue with build-time dependencies or other project issues. It seems to fall into the general category of "unable to get Eclipse to recognize reality" issues that I always attribute, rightly or wrongly, to refresh issues with Eclipse' extensive metadata. Eclipse metadata is a blessing and a curse; when all is working well, it makes the tool exceedingly powerful and fast. But when there are problems, the extensive caching makes straightening out the issues more difficult - sometimes much more difficult - than with other tools.