`AddJaxbAPIDependencies` silently no-ops when `javax.xml.bind` is only JDK-provided

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Assessment

Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Newbie friendliness
68/100
Issue type
Bug
Clarity
Mostly clear
Activity status
Active
Tech stack
java
Domain
build-system, devtools

Research direction

Start with jaxb-apis.yml at the AddJaxbAPIDependencies recipe and trace its onlyIfUsing condition when parsing the supplied Java example on JDK 11 or later. Compare the related recipes named in the issue and add a regression test for a module using javax.xml.bind with no JAXB dependency. Done means the migration adds the required JAXB dependencies and the project no longer has the reported compile break.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

bug

What version of OpenRewrite are you using?

  • Moderne CLI v4.8.8
  • org.openrewrite.recipe:rewrite-migrate-java:3.44.0-20260829.193944-5

Recipe YAML is unchanged on main as of b6526609.

How are you running OpenRewrite?

Moderne CLI against a single-module Maven project:

mod run . --recipe org.openrewrite.java.migrate.UpgradeToJava25

Reached via UpgradeToJava25 -> 21 -> 17 -> Java8toJava11 -> AddJaxbDependenciesWithRuntime -> AddJaxbAPIDependencies. Should also affect the Maven/Gradle plugin whenever the JDK parsing the project is 11+.

Public reproducer: https://github.com/CSPF-Founder/JavaVulnerableLab

What is the smallest, simplest way to reproduce the problem?

A Maven project using JAXB with no JAXB dependency declared — i.e. relying on the JDK to provide it:

<maven.compiler.source>1.7</maven.compiler.source>
<maven.compiler.target>1.7</maven.compiler.target>
<!-- no javax.xml.bind:jaxb-api / jakarta.xml.bind dependency -->

import javax.xml.bind.DatatypeConverter;

class JwtUtil {
    static String base64Url(byte[] data) {
        return DatatypeConverter.printBase64Binary(data);
    }
}

Run UpgradeToJava25 (or Java8toJava11) parsing with a JDK >= 11.

What did you expect to see?

AddJaxbAPIDependencies adds jakarta.xml.bind:jakarta.xml.bind-api (plus the glassfish runtime), so the project still compiles once source/target are raised.

What did you see instead?

source/target raised to 25, but no JAXB dependency added — leaving the exact compile break the recipe exists to prevent:

[ERROR] .../JwtUtil.java:[6,22] package javax.xml.bind does not exist
[ERROR] .../JwtUtil.java:[59,16] cannot find symbol
[ERROR]   symbol: variable DatatypeConverter
Root cause: type-attribution bootstrap problem
# jaxb-apis.yml:117-123
- org.openrewrite.java.dependencies.AddDependency:
    groupId: jakarta.xml.bind
    artifactId: jakarta.xml.bind-api
    version: 2.3.x
    onlyIfUsing: javax.xml.bind..*   # never matches
    acceptTransitive: true

onlyIfUsing needs the type attributed in the LST. But javax.xml.bind is JDK-provided only through Java 8 and was removed in 11 — so when parsed by a JDK >= 11 with no JAXB dependency declared, it never resolves.

The recipe that adds the missing JAXB dependency only fires if the JAXB dependency is already there.

This is attribution, not a broken classpath — FindTypes on the same LST, types from the same file:

Type Provided by Found
javax.crypto.Mac JDK (still present) 1
org.json.JSONObject declared dep 2
javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest declared dep 10
javax.xml.bind.DatatypeConverter JDK-only, removed in 11 0

Note the preconditions are not at fault — both recipes use preconditions: [org.openrewrite.Singleton] (jaxb-apis.yml:32, :93) and do run. The inner onlyIfUsing silently no-ops.

Likely affects sibling recipes

Same flaw for any onlyIfUsing on a JDK-11-removed package:

  • javax.annotation..* — add-common-annotations-dependencies.yml:50
  • javax.activation..* — jakarta-ee-9.yml:106
  • javax.xml.bind..* — jakarta-ee-9.yml:997
  • javax.xml.soap..* — jakarta-ee-9.yml:1092
  • AddJaxwsDependencies
Suggested fix

onlyIfUsing can't be the sole trigger for JDK-removed modules. Either fall back to matching unresolved imports when the type is unattributed, or add an onlyIfUsingImport-style option to AddDependency.

Worth a regression test on a module that uses javax.xml.bind with no JAXB dependency, parsed on a modern JDK — existing tests likely declare it, which is how this slipped through.

Impact

Upgrading any Java <= 8 project relying on JDK-provided JAXB to 11+ produces a silent compile break, with no warning in the recipe output.

Dominant language
Java
Stars
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Forks
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Avg merge
10h 28m
Merged PRs (30d)
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Getting set up

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

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