diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index e15e6ab78..201f6dd36 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 	<properties>
 
 		<!-- Generic properties -->
-		<java.version>1.8</java.version>
+		<java.version>1.7</java.version>
 		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
 		<project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding>
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Owner.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Owner.java
index 840a965ed..ca7c97ec2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Owner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Owner.java
@@ -91,13 +91,13 @@ public class Owner extends Person {
 
     protected Set<Pet> getPetsInternal() {
         if (this.pets == null) {
-            this.pets = new HashSet<Pet>();
+            this.pets = new HashSet<>();
         }
         return this.pets;
     }
 
     public List<Pet> getPets() {
-        List<Pet> sortedPets = new ArrayList<Pet>(getPetsInternal());
+        List<Pet> sortedPets = new ArrayList<>(getPetsInternal());
         PropertyComparator.sort(sortedPets, new MutableSortDefinition("name", true, true));
         return Collections.unmodifiableList(sortedPets);
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Pet.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Pet.java
index 4bc2b92f7..536fe07e6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Pet.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Pet.java
@@ -94,13 +94,13 @@ public class Pet extends NamedEntity {
 
     protected Set<Visit> getVisitsInternal() {
         if (this.visits == null) {
-            this.visits = new HashSet<Visit>();
+            this.visits = new HashSet<>();
         }
         return this.visits;
     }
 
     public List<Visit> getVisits() {
-        List<Visit> sortedVisits = new ArrayList<Visit>(getVisitsInternal());
+        List<Visit> sortedVisits = new ArrayList<>(getVisitsInternal());
         PropertyComparator.sort(sortedVisits, new MutableSortDefinition("date", false, false));
         return Collections.unmodifiableList(sortedVisits);
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Vet.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Vet.java
index c58bd85b2..61c518786 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Vet.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Vet.java
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ public class Vet extends Person {
 
     protected Set<Specialty> getSpecialtiesInternal() {
         if (this.specialties == null) {
-            this.specialties = new HashSet<Specialty>();
+            this.specialties = new HashSet<>();
         }
         return this.specialties;
     }
 
     @XmlElement
     public List<Specialty> getSpecialties() {
-        List<Specialty> sortedSpecs = new ArrayList<Specialty>(getSpecialtiesInternal());
+        List<Specialty> sortedSpecs = new ArrayList<>(getSpecialtiesInternal());
         PropertyComparator.sort(sortedSpecs, new MutableSortDefinition("name", true, true));
         return Collections.unmodifiableList(sortedSpecs);
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Vets.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Vets.java
index e8f44a7bc..aaf96b685 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Vets.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/Vets.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class Vets {
     @XmlElement
     public List<Vet> getVetList() {
         if (vets == null) {
-            vets = new ArrayList<Vet>();
+            vets = new ArrayList<>();
         }
         return vets;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcOwnerRepositoryImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcOwnerRepositoryImpl.java
index 31839ad12..63aec2a1f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcOwnerRepositoryImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcOwnerRepositoryImpl.java
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class JdbcOwnerRepositoryImpl implements OwnerRepository {
      */
     @Override
     public Collection<Owner> findByLastName(String lastName) throws DataAccessException {
-        Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+        Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<>();
         params.put("lastName", lastName + "%");
         List<Owner> owners = this.namedParameterJdbcTemplate.query(
                 "SELECT id, first_name, last_name, address, city, telephone FROM owners WHERE last_name like :lastName",
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public class JdbcOwnerRepositoryImpl implements OwnerRepository {
     public Owner findById(int id) throws DataAccessException {
         Owner owner;
         try {
-            Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+            Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<>();
             params.put("id", id);
             owner = this.namedParameterJdbcTemplate.queryForObject(
                     "SELECT id, first_name, last_name, address, city, telephone FROM owners WHERE id= :id",
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public class JdbcOwnerRepositoryImpl implements OwnerRepository {
     }
 
     public void loadPetsAndVisits(final Owner owner) {
-        Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+        Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<>();
         params.put("id", owner.getId());
         final List<JdbcPet> pets = this.namedParameterJdbcTemplate.query(
                 "SELECT pets.id, name, birth_date, type_id, owner_id, visits.id, visit_date, description, pet_id FROM pets LEFT OUTER JOIN visits ON  pets.id = pet_id WHERE owner_id=:id",
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcPetRepositoryImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcPetRepositoryImpl.java
index e068791a1..e3c02fc93 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcPetRepositoryImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcPetRepositoryImpl.java
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class JdbcPetRepositoryImpl implements PetRepository {
 
     @Override
     public List<PetType> findPetTypes() throws DataAccessException {
-        Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+        Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<>();
         return this.namedParameterJdbcTemplate.query(
                 "SELECT id, name FROM types ORDER BY name",
                 params,
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public class JdbcPetRepositoryImpl implements PetRepository {
     public Pet findById(int id) throws DataAccessException {
         JdbcPet pet;
         try {
-            Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+            Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<>();
             params.put("id", id);
             pet = this.namedParameterJdbcTemplate.queryForObject(
                     "SELECT id, name, birth_date, type_id, owner_id FROM pets WHERE id=:id",
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcVetRepositoryImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcVetRepositoryImpl.java
index f6e91cf5e..cf6ec3e42 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcVetRepositoryImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/repository/jdbc/JdbcVetRepositoryImpl.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public class JdbcVetRepositoryImpl implements VetRepository {
      */
     @Override
     public Collection<Vet> findAll() throws DataAccessException {
-        List<Vet> vets = new ArrayList<Vet>();
+        List<Vet> vets = new ArrayList<>();
         // Retrieve the list of all vets.
         vets.addAll(this.jdbcTemplate.query(
                 "SELECT id, first_name, last_name FROM vets ORDER BY last_name,first_name",