Local class incompatible: stream classdesc serialVersionUID

Question

The following code is being executed from the configFile class:
if(configFileIn != null)
try
ourConfigItemsAL = (ArrayList)alInObjectStream.readObject();
catch(Exception e)
configIsValid = false;
System.out.println("Error: Can't read (readObject ourConfigItemsAL) from \"" + theFileName + "\". (" + e.toString() + ")");
configItemsAL = theDefList;
I get the following error when trying to run. It worked with an older version of the jre.
Creating new NewConfigFile object.
About to read configuration from "c:/Program Files/HearingRecorder/HearingRecorder.cfg" file.
Error: Can't read (readObject ourConfigItemsAL) from "c:/Program Files/HearingRecorder/HearingRecorder.cfg". (java.io.InvalidClassException: javax.swing.JComponent; local class incompatible: stream classdesc serialVersionUID = -7908749299918704233, local class serialVersionUID = 7917968344860800289)
java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
     at HearingRecorder.ConfigFile.readConfig(ConfigFile.java:150)
     at HearingRecorder.ConfigFile.<init>(ConfigFile.java:92)
     at HearingRecorder.HearingRecorder.<clinit>(HearingRecorder.java:4462)
Exception in thread "main"

Answer 1

The Java TutorialEssential Java Classes I/O: Object Serialization
Lightweight persistence--the archival of an object for use in a later invocation of the same program.
Serlization does not play nice between VM versions. It tells you this in the APIs for JComponent
Warning: Serialized objects of this class will not be compatible with future Swing releases. The current serialization support is appropriate for short term storage or RMI between applications running the same version of Swing. As of 1.4, support for long term storage of all JavaBeansTM has been added to the java.beans package. Please see XMLEncoder.