Add Java 17 & Scala 2.13 Modern Compatibility Layer (Dual-Build Support)

[DhanashreePetare]

Problem / Motivation

The DBpedia Extraction Framework currently relies on:

• Scala 2.11 (end-of-life)
• Java 8

This makes the project increasingly difficult to:

• build on modern systems
• onboard new contributors
• integrate with newer libraries and tools

Many modern development environments default to Java 17+ and Scala 2.13+, which leads to build failures or requires manual downgrades.

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Proposed Solution

Introduce a modern compatibility layer that allows the framework to be built and run in both legacy and modern environments, without breaking existing behavior.

Key idea:

• No big-bang migration
• Maintain backward compatibility
• Enable gradual modernization

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Scope of the Proposal

1. Dual Build Profiles

   • legacy: Scala 2.11 + Java 8 (current behavior)
   • modern: Scala 2.13 + Java 17+

2. Compatibility Utilities

   • Introduce small abstraction helpers (e.g. for collection conversions)
   • Isolate Scala 2.11 vs 2.13 differences instead of scattering fixes

3. Minimal Code Adjustments

   • Replace deprecated Scala APIs (e.g. JavaConversions)
   • Fix compilation issues caused by newer JDK module restrictions
   • No changes to extraction logic or RDF semantics

4. CI Support

   • Test both legacy and modern profiles in CI
   • Ensure no regressions in existing behavior

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[DhanashreePetare]

I opened this issue to address an important technical limitation of the extraction framework.

The current dependency on Scala 2.11 and Java 8 makes the project increasingly hard to build on modern systems and discourages new contributors, as most current environments default to Java 17+ and newer Scala versions. This also limits compatibility with modern tooling and libraries.

A gradual modernization approach (dual legacy/modern support) would significantly improve long-term maintainability while preserving backward compatibility and existing extraction behavior.

I will start working on an initial, incremental implementation and open a PR for discussion once the first concrete results are available.
Feel free to express you views and discuss about the same. ThankYou

[shreedhargore7-max]

Hi Dhanashree,

Thanks for opening this issue and explaining the plan clearly. I completely agree that gradual modernization with dual legacy/modern support is a sensible approach—it balances progress with backward compatibility.

I’m looking forward to seeing your initial implementation and would be happy to review or discuss ideas as the PR progresses.

[shreedhargore7-max]

Hii i am also from from pune pvg college 1 st year student can you guide me something about gsoc i dont have any mentor or some one who can tell me about gsoc i am begginer

[DhanashreePetare]

Sure @shreedhargore7-max. It will be great connecting on Linkedin for the same.

[shreedhargore7-max]

I had requested to follow cna you accept it

[shreedhargore7-max]

On LinkedIn