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Java 8 (2014) to Java 23(2025) – The Most Impactful Update

javasleep

March 13, 2025

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Java 8 (2014) – The Most Impactful Update

1. Lambda Expressions – Enables functional-style programming.
2. Functional Interfaces – Introduced @FunctionalInterface.
3. Streams API – Allows processing collections in a functional way.
4. Default & Static Methods in Interfaces – Interfaces can have method implementations.
5. New Date and Time API – java.time package replaces java.util.Date.
6. Optional Class – Helps avoid NullPointerException.
7. Collectors & Method References – More powerful ways to handle data.

Java 9 (2017) – Modularity and Improvements

1. Project Jigsaw (Java Modules) – Introduces the module-info.java.
2. JShell (REPL) – Interactive command-line tool for Java.
3. Stream API Enhancements – New methods like takeWhile, dropWhile, etc.
4. Factory Methods for Collections – List.of(), Set.of(), Map.of().
5. Private Methods in Interfaces – Improves code reuse in interfaces.

Java 10 (2018) – Minor Enhancements

1. var Keyword – Local variable type inference.
2. Garbage Collection Improvements – G1 and parallel GC optimizations.

Java 11 (2018) – Long-Term Support (LTS) Version

1. String Methods Enhancements – isBlank(), lines(), repeat(), etc.
2. Files API Enhancements – readString(), writeString().
3. HTTP Client (Standard) – New java.net.http package.
4. Removal of Java EE & CORBA Modules – Slimmer JDK.
5. Launch Single-File Java Programs – Run .java files directly without compilation.

Java 12–14 (2019–2020) – Performance & Syntax Updates

1. Switch Expressions (Preview) – More concise switch statements.
2. Text Blocks (Java 13, Preview) – Multi-line string literals.
3. Records (Java 14, Preview) – Immutable data classes.
4. Pattern Matching for instanceof (Java 14, Preview).

Java 15–16 (2020–2021) – More Pattern Matching & Performance

1. Sealed Classes – Restrict which classes can extend them.
2. ZGC & Shenandoah GC – Improved garbage collection.
3. Foreign Function & Memory API (Incubating) – Interact with native code efficiently.

Java 17 (2021) – LTS Version

1. Pattern Matching for switch (Preview) – More powerful switch expressions.
2. Sealed Classes (Finalized).
3. New macOS Rendering Pipeline – Uses Metal instead of OpenGL.
4. Deprecation of Security Manager – Moving toward a more modular security model.

Java 18–19 (2022) – Incubator Features & Improvements

1. Simple Web Server – Built-in lightweight HTTP server.
2. Vector API (Incubator) – Performance improvements for numerical computing.
3. Virtual Threads (Java 19, Preview) – Lightweight threads for better concurrency.

Java 20–21 (2023) – Modern Concurrency & LTS

1. Virtual Threads (Finalized in Java 21) – Better thread management with Thread.ofVirtual().
2. Structured Concurrency (Preview) – Easier concurrent programming.
3. Pattern Matching for switch (Finalized in Java 21).
4. Sequenced Collections – Better order management in lists, sets, and maps.

Conclusion

• Java 8 & 11 are widely used LTS versions.
• Java 17 & 21 are the latest LTS versions with significant enhancements.
• Recent Java versions focus on performance, modern concurrency (Virtual Threads), and cleaner code syntax (Pattern Matching, Records, Sealed Classes, etc.).