Bytecode Compatibility
Patched artifacts preserve the bytecode level of the last released artifact unless an explicit exception is approved.
Structured Requirements
Patched Java artifacts must preserve the bytecode level of the last released artifact unless an exception is approved.
| Check | Severity | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
|
REL-002.CHECK-001 Bytecode level matches the prior released artifact |
blocking | artifact_digest, bytecode_level, reference_artifact |
Requirement
Patch providers MUST guarantee that patched Java artifacts are released at the correct bytecode version.
The bytecode level SHOULD be determined from the last released artifact, not solely from the fork’s build configuration.
Rationale
Old source trees do not always encode the runtime compatibility level that enterprise consumers rely on. Publishing a patch at the wrong bytecode level can break consumers even when source tests pass.
Acceptance check
The working group SHOULD define an automated publish-time check that compares bytecode level against the last released artifact for the same line.
Evidence
Release evidence SHOULD include the bytecode level, how it was determined, and whether the published artifact was checked before release.
Observed OSERA example
The historical backpatch-logback backpatch/1.2.9 branch includes a compatibility-focused commit titled ensure JDK 8 compatibility:
https://github.com/finos-osera/backpatch-logback/commit/a721d9c51643f0a9fd113a1a3bb4e25ad7a76e4e
This is useful evidence, but a future standard should make runtime compatibility machine-verifiable at release time.