Jackson 2 to 3 migration

Jackson 2 → 3 Migration Skill

Overview

Jackson 3 is a major version with breaking changes. The key ones are:

1. Root Java package: com.fasterxml.jackson → tools.jackson
2. Maven/Gradle GroupIds changed to match
3. Many methods that previously declared throws IOException now declare throws JacksonException
4. ObjectMapper builder pattern is now strongly preferred
5. A Jackson BOM is available for centralized version management

Before doing anything, read the full reference: → references/jackson2-to-3-changes.md

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Migration Strategy

Choose the right approach based on what the user has:

User provides	Approach
pom.xml / build.gradle only	Update dependencies, add BOM, explain code changes needed
Java/Kotlin source files	Migrate imports + update API usage + fix exception handling
Both build + source	Do both
Asking how to automate	Recommend OpenRewrite recipe

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Step 1: Assess the Codebase

Scan the project for:

1. Dependencies: all com.fasterxml.jackson.* groupIds in POM files
2. Imports: all import com.fasterxml.jackson.* in Java/Kotlin sources
3. Exception handling: methods catching IOException from Jackson calls — these may need to catch JacksonException (or both during a transition period)
4. Throws declarations: methods declaring throws IOException only because of Jackson — these can be narrowed to throws JacksonException
5. API usage patterns: new ObjectMapper() configured imperatively, deprecated APIs

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Step 2: Update POM Files

Read references/jackson2-to-3-changes.md → section "Maven / Gradle Dependency Changes" for the full GroupId mapping table.

Look up the latest Jackson 3 version

Before writing any version number, query Maven Central for the latest stable release of the BOM:

curl -s "https://search.maven.org/solrsearch/select?q=g:tools.jackson+AND+a:jackson-bom&rows=1&wt=json" \
  | jq -r '.response.docs[0].latestVersion'

Use the returned version throughout. Do not default to 3.0.0 without checking — there may be a newer patch or minor release available.

Multi-module projects — use the Jackson BOM

In the root POM's <dependencyManagement> section, replace all individual Jackson version declarations with a single BOM import:

<dependencyManagement>
    <dependencies>
        <!-- Jackson BOM — manages versions for all tools.jackson.* artifacts -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>tools.jackson</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-bom</artifactId>
            <version><!-- latest from Maven Central --></version>
            <type>pom</type>
            <scope>import</scope>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
</dependencyManagement>

Then in child modules, declare Jackson dependencies without a <version> tag:

<dependency>
    <groupId>tools.jackson.core</groupId>
    <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
    <!-- no version — managed by BOM in root POM -->
</dependency>

Single-module projects

Add the BOM to <dependencyManagement> in the same POM, then remove <version> from individual Jackson dependencies below it.

Remove old Jackson 2 entries

Remove all com.fasterxml.jackson.* dependencies. Check for:

• Direct dependencies in <dependencies>
• Managed versions in <dependencyManagement>
• <exclusions> that reference old Jackson coordinates (update those too)

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Step 3: Update Java/Kotlin Imports

Mechanical find-and-replace across all source files:

com.fasterxml.jackson  →  tools.jackson

This covers all sub-packages automatically. Offer to apply this to any files the user provides.

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Step 4: Update Exception Handling

This is the most commonly missed change in Jackson 3.

What changed

Many Jackson methods that previously declared throws IOException now declare throws JacksonException. JacksonException extends IOException, so existing code compiles — but catch blocks and throws declarations may need updating for correctness and intent clarity.

Read references/jackson2-to-3-changes.md → section "Exception Changes" for the full list of affected methods.

Catch block patterns to update

// Jackson 2 — catching broad IOException from Jackson operations
try {
    MyType obj = mapper.readValue(json, MyType.class);
} catch (IOException e) {
    // handle
}

// Jackson 3 — prefer catching JacksonException for Jackson-specific errors
try {
    MyType obj = mapper.readValue(json, MyType.class);
} catch (JacksonException e) {
    // handle Jackson-specific parse/mapping errors
}

Throws declarations to narrow

// Jackson 2
public MyType parse(String json) throws IOException {
    return mapper.readValue(json, MyType.class);
}

// Jackson 3 — can narrow to JacksonException
public MyType parse(String json) throws JacksonException {
    return mapper.readValue(json, MyType.class);
}

When to keep IOException

Keep throws IOException or catch (IOException e) when the method also does real I/O (e.g. reading from a File, InputStream, network stream) alongside Jackson calls. In that case both IOException and JacksonException are valid — JacksonException extends IOException so the existing IOException catch still works, but you may want to separate them:

try {
    return mapper.readValue(inputStream, MyType.class);
} catch (JacksonException e) {
    throw new ParseException("Invalid JSON", e);
} catch (IOException e) {
    throw new StorageException("Could not read stream", e);
}

New import needed

import tools.jackson.core.JacksonException;

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Step 5: Update API Usage

Read references/jackson2-to-3-changes.md → section "API Changes" for full details.

ObjectMapper — prefer builder

// Jackson 2 style (imperative config)
ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
mapper.configure(DeserializationFeature.FAIL_ON_UNKNOWN_PROPERTIES, false);
mapper.registerModule(new JavaTimeModule());

// Jackson 3 style (builder)
ObjectMapper mapper = JsonMapper.builder()
    .disable(DeserializationFeature.FAIL_ON_UNKNOWN_PROPERTIES)
    .addModule(new JavaTimeModule())
    .build();

Check for removed deprecated APIs

See reference file section "Removed APIs". If any are present in user code, suggest replacements.

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Step 6: Automation Option (OpenRewrite)

For large codebases, recommend OpenRewrite — it handles dependencies, imports, and many API migrations automatically. Show the snippet from the reference file's "OpenRewrite Recipe" section.

Note: OpenRewrite does not currently handle the IOException → JacksonException catch block narrowing — that must be done manually or with IDE inspections.

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Step 7: Warn About Spring Boot Compatibility

⚠️ Critical check: Ask or check if they use Spring Boot.

• Spring Boot 3.x → uses Jackson 2. Do not upgrade Jackson independently.
• Spring Boot 4.x → uses Jackson 3. Upgrading Jackson independently is appropriate.

If they're on Spring Boot 3.x and want Jackson 3, they need to upgrade Spring Boot first.

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Output Format

When migrating files, show a clear before/after diff or provide the updated file. For multi-file migrations, create updated versions of each file. Always summarize:

1. POMs changed and what BOM entry was added
2. Source files changed and how many import lines replaced
3. Exception handling changes made or recommended
4. Any manual follow-up needed (removed APIs, annotation behavior changes)