Why are Spring Data repository method parameters names not available even on Java 8? -

i'm having hard time getting tests pass on pivotal's example project spring-boot 1.4 release from examples shows spring-data-jpa using unannotated named parameters in jpql

e.g.

from example.springdata.jpa.simple.simpleuserrepository

 @query("select u user u u.firstname = :firstname")  list<user> findbyfirstname(string firstname); 

nb not using @param annotation

this doesn't run on machine. exception detailed here, self-explanatory title.

name parameter binding must not null or empty! named parameters need use @param query method parameters on java versions

so have instead:

@query("select u user u u.firstname = ?1") list<user> findbyfirstname(string firstname); 

or this:

@query("select u user u u.firstname = :firstname") list<user> findbyfirstname(@param("firstname") string firstname); 

what i'm using:

• os - win7
• java - 1.8.0_112
• ide - intellij idea 2016.2
• jpa version - jpa v2.0
• configuration - spring-boot-1.4.1

so have got wrong way set examples?

did spring-data-jpa include cool feature @ 1 time auto-detect param names reason got removed later?

org.springframework.dao.invaliddataaccessapiusageexception: name parameter binding must not null or empty! named parameters need use @param query method parameters on java versions < 8.; nested exception java.lang.illegalargumentexception: name parameter binding must not null or empty! named parameters need use @param query method parameters on java versions < 8.      @ org.springframework.orm.jpa.entitymanagerfactoryutils.convertjpaaccessexceptionifpossible(entitymanagerfactoryutils.java:384)     @ org.springframework.orm.jpa.vendor.hibernatejpadialect.translateexceptionifpossible(hibernatejpadialect.java:246)     @ org.springframework.orm.jpa.abstractentitymanagerfactorybean.translateexceptionifpossible(abstractentitymanagerfactorybean.java:491)     @ org.springframework.dao.support.chainedpersistenceexceptiontranslator.translateexceptionifpossible(chainedpersistenceexceptiontranslator.java:59)     @ org.springframework.dao.support.dataaccessutils.translateifnecessary(dataaccessutils.java:213)     @ org.springframework.dao.support.persistenceexceptiontranslationinterceptor.invoke(persistenceexceptiontranslationinterceptor.java:147)     @ org.springframework.aop.framework.reflectivemethodinvocation.proceed(reflectivemethodinvocation.java:179)     @ org.springframework.data.jpa.repository.support.crudmethodmetadatapostprocessor$crudmethodmetadatapopulatingmethodinterceptor.invoke(crudmethodmetadatapostprocessor.java:133)     @ org.springframework.aop.framework.reflectivemethodinvocation.proceed(reflectivemethodinvocation.java:179)     @ org.springframework.aop.interceptor.exposeinvocationinterceptor.invoke(exposeinvocationinterceptor.java:92)     @ org.springframework.aop.framework.reflectivemethodinvocation.proceed(reflectivemethodinvocation.java:179)     @ org.springframework.aop.framework.jdkdynamicaopproxy.invoke(jdkdynamicaopproxy.java:213)     @ com.sun.proxy.$proxy75.findbyfirstnameorlastname(unknown source)      @ example.springdata.jpa.simple.simpleuserrepositorytests.findbyfirstnameorlastname(simpleuserrepositorytests.java:86)       ====================================================================================================================     @ sun.reflect.nativemethodaccessorimpl.invoke0(native method)     @ sun.reflect.nativemethodaccessorimpl.invoke(nativemethodaccessorimpl.java:62)     @ sun.reflect.delegatingmethodaccessorimpl.invoke(delegatingmethodaccessorimpl.java:43)     @ java.lang.reflect.method.invoke(method.java:483)     @ org.junit.runners.model.frameworkmethod$1.runreflectivecall(frameworkmethod.java:50)     @ org.junit.internal.runners.model.reflectivecallable.run(reflectivecallable.java:12)     @ org.junit.runners.model.frameworkmethod.invokeexplosively(frameworkmethod.java:47)     @ org.junit.internal.runners.statements.invokemethod.evaluate(invokemethod.java:17)     @ org.junit.internal.runners.statements.runbefores.evaluate(runbefores.java:26)     @ org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.runbeforetestmethodcallbacks.evaluate(runbeforetestmethodcallbacks.java:75)     @ org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.runaftertestmethodcallbacks.evaluate(runaftertestmethodcallbacks.java:86)     @ org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.springrepeat.evaluate(springrepeat.java:84)     @ org.junit.runners.parentrunner.runleaf(parentrunner.java:325)     @ org.springframework.test.context.junit4.springjunit4classrunner.runchild(springjunit4classrunner.java:252)     @ org.springframework.test.context.junit4.springjunit4classrunner.runchild(springjunit4classrunner.java:94)     @ org.junit.runners.parentrunner$3.run(parentrunner.java:290)     @ org.junit.runners.parentrunner$1.schedule(parentrunner.java:71)     @ org.junit.runners.parentrunner.runchildren(parentrunner.java:288)     @ org.junit.runners.parentrunner.access$000(parentrunner.java:58)     @ org.junit.runners.parentrunner$2.evaluate(parentrunner.java:268)     @ org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.runbeforetestclasscallbacks.evaluate(runbeforetestclasscallbacks.java:61)     @ org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.runaftertestclasscallbacks.evaluate(runaftertestclasscallbacks.java:70)     @ org.junit.runners.parentrunner.run(parentrunner.java:363)     @ org.springframework.test.context.junit4.springjunit4classrunner.run(springjunit4classrunner.java:191)     @ org.junit.runner.junitcore.run(junitcore.java:137)     @ com.intellij.junit4.junit4ideatestrunner.startrunnerwithargs(junit4ideatestrunner.java:117)     @ com.intellij.junit4.junit4ideatestrunner.startrunnerwithargs(junit4ideatestrunner.java:42)     @ com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.junitstarter.preparestreamsandstart(junitstarter.java:262)     @ com.intellij.rt.execution.junit.junitstarter.main(junitstarter.java:84)     @ sun.reflect.nativemethodaccessorimpl.invoke0(native method)     @ sun.reflect.nativemethodaccessorimpl.invoke(nativemethodaccessorimpl.java:62)     @ sun.reflect.delegatingmethodaccessorimpl.invoke(delegatingmethodaccessorimpl.java:43)     @ java.lang.reflect.method.invoke(method.java:483)     @ com.intellij.rt.execution.application.appmain.main(appmain.java:147) 

by default, interfaces not retain parameter name information — in no java version, not debug flag set. java 8 added feature enable retention of parameter information types through new -parameters compiler flag needs set explicitly.

see an example of in spring data examples repository.