Compiler compliance level meaning in eclipse

The compiler compliance setting tells the compiler to pretend it ' s a different version of Java.

The Java 8 compiler would produce class files in the Java 8 version of the class file format, and accept Java 8 source file S. JRE 6 can ' t load this version, because it is created after JRE 6 is.

If you set the compliance level to "JRE 6", it would instead compile Java 6 source files into Java 6 class files.

It's like saving a Word document as "word 97-2003 format"-so that word 97-2003 can read your document. You ' re saving the class files in Java 6 format so that Java 6 can read them.

My understanding is that although eclipse is using JDK 8, by setting Complier compliance setting we can compile in JDK 6 (or other) environment. As in word2010, save the Word file in word2003 format.

Compiler compliance level meaning in eclipse