When working with Maven, a common issue that developers encounter is the error message “Invalid Target Release: 11”. This error typically occurs when Maven is trying to compile Java code targeting a Java version (in this case, Java 11) that is not available or properly configured in the environment. This article will guide you through the steps to resolve this issue effectively.
Understanding the Error
The “Invalid Target Release: 11” error means that Maven is instructed to compile the code with Java 11, but it cannot find the appropriate Java Development Kit (JDK) version. This discrepancy can arise due to several reasons:
- The JDK 11 is not installed on your machine.
- Maven is not configured to use JDK 11.
- Environmental variables are not set correctly to point to JDK 11.
Step-by-Step Solution
Step 1: Verify Java Installation
First, ensure that JDK 11 is installed on your system. You can check this by opening a terminal or command prompt and typing:
java -version
If JDK 11 is not installed, download and install it from the official Oracle website or adopt a version from distributions like AdoptOpenJDK.
Step 2: Set JAVA_HOME Environment Variable
After installing JDK 11, you need to set the JAVA_HOME environment variable to point to your JDK installation directory.
On Windows:
- Search for “Environment Variables” in the Start menu and open the dialog.
- Under “System Variables”, click “New” and add a variable named JAVA_HOME with the path to your JDK 11 installation (e.g., C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-11).
- Find the Path variable, select it, click “Edit”, and add “%JAVA_HOME%\bin” to the list.
On macOS/Linux:
- Open your shell profile file (e.g., .bash_profile, .zshrc) and add:
export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v11) export PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH
- Save the file
- Apply the changes by running
source ~/.bash_profile
orsource ~/.zshrc
.
Step 3: Configure Maven to Use JDK 11
Ensure that Maven is configured to use JDK 11 by specifying the source and target release in your project’s pom.xml file:
<properties>
<maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.target>11
</properties>
Step 4: Verify Maven Configuration
Finally, verify that Maven is using the correct JDK version by running:
mvn -version
This command will display the Maven version, along with the Java version it’s using. Ensure it matches JDK 11.
Conclusion
Resolving the “Invalid Target Release: 11” error in Maven involves ensuring JDK 11 is installed, correctly setting environment variables, and configuring Maven to use the correct JDK version. By following these steps, you should be able to compile your project without encountering this error. If you continue to face issues, consider consulting the documentation for your IDE or build system, as there may be additional configuration steps required.