Java 14+ : add @Serial annotation to serialVersionUID fields

[yeikel]

Relevant :
https://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/core-libs-dev/2021-September/081364.html
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/63783474/what-is-the-use-of-serial-annotation-as-of-java-14

[melloware]

+1 for this. Dont know how easy this would be though.

[melloware]

@timtebeek i am interested in doing this one but need a hint on how to get started. The general idea is

1. detect private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
2. Add maybeAddImport("java.io.Serial", false);
3. Add @Serial above the private static final long serialVersionUID

[timtebeek]

hi @melloware, welcome back! It seems this open issue was missed when the recipe was implemented in another castle rewrite-static-analysis

• Recipe AddSerialAnnotationToserialVersionUID rewrite-static-analysis#247

You can already use that existing recipe; I've just pushed up a change to the latest snapshot to correct the casing:

• openrewrite/rewrite-static-analysis@6ccce06

Thanks for reaching out on this issue! Good to see this can be closed.

[melloware]

OK wasn't sure where to ask but I wasn't seeing this run as part of a Java 17 migration i just did so I assumed this would have been part of an automatic upgrade recipe?

[timtebeek]

I had doubted at the time to make this part of the upgrade recipe; the way I see it there might be some push back from folks that prefer a "minimal" migration, as opposed to having to review additional lines any place there's a serialVersionUID. What would be your argument for inclusion by default? Just to weigh the options.

[melloware]

Yeah I guess my only argument is in INtelliJ when I open a Java 17 or 21 project that warning comes up on every class to add @Serial so its one less thing I have to do to N classes on a Migration. That was my only thought.

In theory I can run the 17 Recipe and then run this custom recipe. But there is a reason Java added this and to me it make sense to migrate it by default. Just my two cents.

[timtebeek]

Ah I didn't know about the warnings in IntelliJ IDEA; that'd be a stronger reason to include this recipe by default. Would you want to push that up?

[melloware]

Yes let me submit a PR.