--- name: watsonx-code-assistant-cloud-setup-wca-java-env title: Setting up your enterprise Java environment description: If you're using the Standard plan and want to work with enterprise Java applications, you need to set up your environment for your IDE. last-updated: 2025-08-22 --- > ## Documentation Index > The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonx-code-assistant?format=markdown > The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt > Use these files to discover more information as needed. # Setting up your enterprise Java environment {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env} [watsonx Code Assistant]{: tag-blue} [Standard plan]{: tag-purple} If you're using the Standard plan and want to work with enterprise Java applications, you need to set up your environment for your IDE. {: shortdesc} ## Software requirements {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-requirements} The requirements to use watsonx Code Assistant for Enterprise Java Applications in Visual Studio Code or in Eclipse are: | Item | Details | | --- | --- | | Java | Java SE 11 with Java Developer Kit 11 or a later version | | Maven | Use Maven to build your application. If you are using Liberty Tools and the Liberty Maven plug-in to build your app or project, use Maven 3.8.6 or a later version. | {: caption="System requirements" caption-side="bottom"} ## Visual Studio Code setup {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-vscode} - [Set environment variables](#cloud-setup-wca-java-env-variables) - [Determining the Java developer kit](#cloud-setup-wca-java-env-extension-pack) - [Set logging level](#cloud-setup-wca-java-env-log-level-vscode) ### Set environment variables {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-variables} Set up your environment variables. #### JAVA_HOME {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-java-home} Set the `JAVA_HOME` environment variable the same way that you do for Maven. Set it to the JDK directory that contains the `/bin` directory so your Java executable file is in the `$JAVA_HOME/bin/java` path. You can set the `JAVA_HOME` environment variable to build your application at a different version, for example, Java 11. #### PATH {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-path} Set the `PATH` environment variable to include the `mvn` executable file. - Windows: `mvn.cmd` - macOS: `mvn` If you use the Visual Studio Code terminal to set the environment variables, you need to restart Visual Studio Code to apply the changes. {: note} ### Determining the Java developer kit {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-extension-pack} For Visual Studio Code, if you are using the [Extension Pack for Java](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=vscjava.vscode-java-pack), watsonx Code Assistant determines the Java developer kit to use in this order of precedence: | Order of precedence | Description | | :---: | --- | | 1 | Globally-configured Java developer kit for automatic building in the Red Hat extension, which is `java.configuration.runtimes` in the `IDE settings.json` file. | | 2 | `java.jdt.ls.java.home` or `java.home` IDE settings if they are present. | | 3 | `JDK_HOME` system environment variable. | | 4 | `JAVA_HOME` system environment variable. Required if items 1 through 3 aren't set. | {: caption="Java developer kit order" caption-side="bottom"} When watsonx Code Assistant for Enterprise Java Applications features are used, such as Java modernization or upgrade, you can verify which Java developer kit is being used: 1. In Visual Studio Code, click **View**, then click **Output**. 1. In the Output view, use the drop-down list to select **WCA**. 1. Check for a message such as `Using the Java developer kit that is defined in to run watsonx Code Assistant components. The path is: `. ### Set logging level {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-log-level-vscode} To adjust logging for the Visual Studio Code extension: 1. In Visual Studio Code, open the extension settings for watsonx Code Assistant. 1. In **Wca: Log level**, switch from the default of `INFO` to another setting such as `WARN`. ## Eclipse IDE setup {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-eclipse} - [Determining the Java installation](#cloud-setup-wca-java-env-eclipse-java-install) - [Maven setup](#cloud-setup-wca-java-env-eclipse-maven) ### Determining the Java installation {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-eclipse-java-install} For Eclipse, the Java installation is determined in this order: - The installation that is configured in the project's build path - The default Java installation for the IDE For application modernization and upgrade, the automated fixes use the Java developer kit installation that best matches the target Java version that you chose. You need to: 1. Install the Java developer kit. 1. In the Eclipse IDE settings, open the **Java** section and add the installation to the **Installed JREs**. ### Maven setup in Eclipse {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-eclipse-maven} Make sure to use Maven to build your application. Maven is required to be set on the PATH. Set the `PATH` environment variable to include the `mvn` executable file. | Operating system | Executable file | | --- | --- | | Windows | `mvn.cmd` | | macOS | `mvn` | {: caption="Maven executable files" caption-side="bottom"} For macOS operating systems, the environment variables might not be set as expected when you run Eclipse. To fix the problem, you can restart Eclipse by using the Finder tool to right-click your Eclipse application and choose Show Package Contents. Open the `Contents` folder, select `MacOS`, and then run Eclipse by clicking the executable code. {: note} ## How is the `pom.xml` file of a Maven project located? {: #cloud-setup-wca-java-env-mmr-aggregate} Watsonx Code Assistant uses the aggregator `pom.xml` file to build and manage the entire multimodule Maven project. When watsonx Code Assistant attempts to do builds and other Maven-related activity, it uses the multi-module root (MMR) to locate the aggregator `pom.xml` file. - The MMR first searches the highest level project directory for the aggregator `pom.xml` file. - If the MMR doesn't find the file, it searches the project directory by going from the highest to the next highest directory structure, and so on, until it finds an aggregator `pom.xml` file. - If the MMR again does not find an aggregator `pom.xml` file, it searches the project directory by going from the highest to the next highest directory structure, and so on, until it finds a regular `pom.xml` file. A regular `pom.xml` file indicates that the Maven project is a single module project instead of a multi-module project. However, there is an extra restriction. The multimodule project must have one `WAR` file or one `EAR` file. There can be multiple WAR files if there is a single EAR file. But, if there are multiple WAR files and no EAR file, then the project is not supported. The reason is so that watsonx Code Assistant can analyze the correct binary and place the Liberty configuration file (`server.xml`) in the correct submodule.