Version Settings for Mule, Java, and Connectors | MuleSoft Documentation
# Version Settings for Mule, Java, and Connectors
Standard support for Java 8 and 11 ends in March 2025 for Mule 4.8 Edge and February 2026 for 4.6 LTS. Plan your upgrade path for apps that are running on Java 8 or 11 accordingly. Set Mule runtime engine (Mule), Java, and connector versions to use in your projects.
  * Default versions: Set default Mule and Java versions to display in version drop-down menus.
  * Project-level versions: Set versions to use in a specific project.
    * For Mule and Java versions, see Select Mule and Java Versions for a Project.
    * For connector versions, see Select Connector Versions for a Project.


## Select Default Mule and Java Versions
Select the default Mule and Java versions for new implementation and integration projects. The defaults appear in drop-down menus from which you select a version, for example, when creating a project.
Versions not present in the IDE append a message similar to **downloads upon project creation**. Versions that don’t support a feature typically append a message, such as **AsyncAPI implementation unsupported** for Mule 4.4.
You can set a different version at the project level (see Select Mule and Java Versions for a Project).
To select the default Mule and Java versions from the **Settings** tab:
  1. Open the **Settings** tab for the IDE:
Show me how
     * From the Anypoint Code Builder panel, click the (gear) icon.
     * From the activity bar, click the (gear) icon, select **Settings** , and search for `mule` in the **Settings** tab.
     * Provide the command `MuleSoft: Open ACB Settings` in the Command Palette.
  2. Find **Mule › Application: Default Mule Runtime And Java Versions** in the open tab.
  3. Click **Edit defaults through command palette**.
Although it is also possible to set the versions as values to **muleRuntimeVersion** and **jdkVersion** items directly in the **Settings** tab, you must know the major, minor, and patch numbers, and in some cases, the timestamp. It is easier to set them after clicking **Edit defaults through command palette**.
  4. Select a Mule runtime version.
  5. Select a Java version.


## Select Mule and Java Versions for a Project
Set Mule or Java versions for a specific implementation or integration project from **Project Properties**. You can change versions at any time, but it is important to test your projects with the versions you intend to deploy.
Version settings are important in several scenarios:
  * Updating a project to use more current versions
  * Switching to a supported version, for example, for a project that you import into Anypoint Code Builder that uses an unsupported version
  * Adding a version of Mule or Java that is missing from your project
  * Selecting versions of Mule or Java that are compatible with each other


When a Mule or Java version isn’t set for a project, the IDE’s canvas and notifications provide a **Set version** button that opens the **Project Properties** tab. You can also navigate directly to the **Project Properties** tab.
To select Mule and Java versions for a project:
  1. Open your implementation or integration project
  2. Run the following command to open the **Project Properties** tab:
```
MuleSoft: Project Properties
```

  3. In the Explorer, right-click a configuration XML file in your project directory, and select **Project Properties** from the menu.
  4. In **Project Properties** , select the versions to use in this project.
You can select any of the supported Mule runtime and Java versions. The IDE saves your version settings to the project’s `mule-artifact.json` file. For information about version support and automated Mule patch updates, see Mule and Java version support.


## Select Connector Versions for a Project
Set connector versions for a specific implementation or integration project from **Project Properties** or when you add a component to the canvas. You can change versions at any time, but it is important to test your projects with the versions you intend to deploy.
To select connector versions for a project:
  1. Open your implementation or integration project.
  2. Run the following command to open the **Project Properties** tab:
```
MuleSoft: Project Properties
```

  3. In the Explorer, right-click a configuration XML file in your project directory, and select **Project Properties** from the menu.
  4. Click **Connectors** from the **Project Properties** side bar.
  5. Select connector versions. You can update Exchange connector versions for compatibility with your project’s Mule runtime and Java versions.