Since Java's release three decades ago, an active community of programmers and fans has constantly updated its object-oriented programming language, which is designed for dynamic online applications.
This has increased its power exponentially over time. Yet, how can one properly leverage it through education?
Hi everyone, and welcome to this history of Java versions article. In this blog, we will detail every significant feature found across each Java release from versions 8-21 and demonstrate its entire development.
Take your coffee break, sit back comfortably, and browse this piece as we start by outlining how releases occur for this programming language.
Java Development
What Is Java Development? Java development has long been associated with backend solutions due to its focus on logic, data, and functionality in an app or website.
Backend developers typically interact with databases, servers, or APIs that are not visible directly to end users, while other projects have attempted to bring Java closer to users directly (yet rarely utilized as frontend solutions).
Java provides web administrators with numerous web development tools -Servlets, JSP, and Struts, which make website creation much faster.
These tools allow web admins to easily develop websites quickly by building backend logic, processing data efficiently, and managing database connections efficiently. Therefore, many consider Java primarily used for website backend functions.
Java 8, 9, 10, 21 And New Important Features And Improvements
Java 8 through 11 and later releases add new functionalities to the JDK. Numerous new features, such as functional interface and lambda expression, were introduced in JDK 8.
Java feature releases are JDK 9 and JDK 10. With a feature release, there will only be two planned updates. Additionally, JDK 11 deleted many packages from it, like Web Start, JavaFX, Applets, etc.
Below read out important features of java versions:
Java 8
JDK 8 introduces several exciting new features, which are listed here.
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Lambda Expression: Java 8 introduces us to an important feature called Lambda Expression, which simplifies writing code by offering just two lines to complete an immense task.
The main aim is to introduce functional programming benefits into Java Development USA via Lambda expression, where each lambda function does not possess a name, return type, or access modifiers, making use of Lambda anonymous functions known as Lambda closures easier than ever.
- Functional Interface: An interface containing just a single abstract method is known as a function interface, and its abstract method is a functional method. An inbuilt function interface, such as Runnable's run () method, constitutes an abstract method in Java; another example would be the Comparator interface's compareTo() abstract method.
- Default Methods: Starting in Java 8, default method implementations within interfaces have become possible by creating one using the "default" keyword. We may override the behavior of a default method in child classes or leave its default implementation unaltered if desired.
Java 9
The new release of Java software brings many exciting and innovative features, as well as improvements and additions made to existing ones.
Starting in Java 9, users are now able to add private static and method parameters to an interface, and these private methods will then be called by the interface's default method.
Try with Resource Block was first introduced in Java 6. However, we were required to define all resources necessary to function within its front bracket.
With Java 9, however, any of those resources can now be defined anywhere before trying and directly used within try, an improvement made to try with Resource Block.
Various improvements have been made to Java 9's Streaming API. One major addition is modules, an easy way of quickly configuring your applications and coding for specific areas of functionality.
Also new is the http2 Client, which makes HTTP calls or restful calls more manageable from our Java code.
Linking is a key concept in microservices app development with Java 9. With Linking, we can link only those libraries required by our application rather than adding everything inside the JDK or a particular library, thus saving time when building microservices apps with this framework.
Java 9 introduces JShell, providing our own Shell environment where we can type our own Java snippets.
Java 10
Compared with its predecessor, Java 9, Java 10 is only a minor upgrade that brings with it only two noteworthy features, which we will discuss here.
These features include variable definition using "var", similar to what JavaScript offers; minor upgrades made available via the Collectors API allow you to stream collections and then generate unmodifiable lists or sets for streaming; and improved streaming performance that produces unmodifiable collections during streaming operations. Future releases for Java 10 will occur every six months; before its introduction, releases were usually every three or two years.
Java 11
With frequent small releases comes an increased capacity to learn new features quickly. Now, full-stack Java developers only need to master a handful of features at one time, each proving valuable and impactful.
They start with String-related updates, followed by optional class additions and deprecations, before finally covering some deprecations and removals.
Read More: Transform Your Business with Java App Development
Java 12
Java 12 brings new languages and features, including API and clean-up techniques. Unicode eleven maintenance and switch appearance performance have become vital aspects.
- Micro Benchmark Suite: JVM 12 offers over one hundred microbenchmark tests of its Java source code coding. These tests are designed to highlight ongoing presentation challenges on the JVM, providing invaluable benefits to every programmer working towards Java development or looking to establish their own microbenchmark tests.
- Modifying Class Data Sharing Records by Default: This new feature helps reduce startup and memory footprints among various Java Virtual Machines by using an automated building time with a defaulting class list containing only essential library programs.
Java 13
Java has long been one of the primary programming sources available to programmers, offering essential structures and capabilities in its various editions to programmers.
From complex enterprise structures and websites to standalone applications on smartphones - its versatility provides solutions that span complex enterprise structures as well as websites and standalone apps. Now, with its next-gen language offering a fantastic mobile development platform through emerging mobile apps available through Amazon, Google, Android, Experian, Twitter, eBay as well and Netflix, this version doesn't come equipped with concrete structures for programmers, allowing it to become the premier programming language source available.
Features include Pattern-matching improvements that provide Pattern-matching services across several techniques.
For instance, whether using ref to compare objects is helpful or not or checking if referenced objects belong to certain classes can all help make for much smoother coding experiences. These versions and features make coding much simpler.
Java 14
JSR 389 of the Java Community Procedure, or JDK 14, is an open-source app created for Java version 14 policy edition, commonly called its Expansion Kit 14.
Manufacturing communications licensed under GPL; binaries licensed from other manufacturers will soon become accessible. Java SE 14 provides a complete application to the Java SE 14 Platform and additional APIs that facilitate the structuring, designing, and analysis of apps using this specification.
Furthermore, JSR 389 contains information regarding significant add-ons or adjustments to existing JDK 14 or Java 14 features, as well as potential modifications that have yet to be released by Oracle Corporation for their release of the final JSR 389.
Java 15
Java 15 has reached general availability to developers worldwide and first became widely familiar as the subsequent short-term release for JDK policy.
This version features various characteristics through initial releases and provides some welcome newer improvements.
Java 15 has given rise to numerous characters through past releases, ranging from record short type font sizes and texting rates, through text blocking to improved garbage collecting procedures with larger varieties in place and enhanced performance structures such as closed classes and concealed classes - not short-term measures but continuing even as additional versions emerge or come online; its purpose being extending many features before developing certified key characteristics for development certification purposes.
Java 16
Java 16 was initially made available and released into this world as an incremental short-term release on Java 15.
With its up-to-date and current features, JDK 16 features support from Oracle that lasts six months, allowing users to test out this edition before entering Java 17. However, many see JAVA 16 only as a temporary solution created from previous releases of Java 15.
Java 17
Now available for creation environments is Java 17, an expanded LTS version released as an upgrade of ordinary Java that Oracle announced would receive product support for eight years instead of every three.
Furthermore, Oracle stated that LTS versions would become part of regular releases every two years in future releases of standard Java rather than every three. With Java 17, they continue to demonstrate support from various individuals and companies within the OpenJDK Community, which collectively creates Java itself.
Java 18
The 18th installment of the Java Development Platform, version 18, is now available as an official product release.
Standard Java features nine exciting new capabilities, including an accessible web server and additional template-matching examples for switches. Java 18 offers many new features and APIs designed to speed the creation of software for both large and small devices while at the same time helping programmers increase the maintainability, reliability, and scalability of their projects.
Java 19
It is an exploration into recording structures and allows data exploration and execution. Record patterning incorporates five innovations from prior prototypes, from an external functional and storage API prototype, to support open standards Linux/RISC-V instructional materials in teaching architectural ISA (ISA).
Java 19 could accommodate many devices ranging from universal generic medications to value structures - something not often done when building things within incubator modules like this one - the purpose is for input from developers.
Java 20
It offers many exciting new features and improvements designed to simplify programming for developers. In this section, we highlight some of these highlights from this version, such as recording styles, switch phrase corresponding patterns for switch phrases (CFM), virtual thread usage, etc.
Java 21
Version 21 of the Java Standard Edition brings many exciting and innovative new functionalities and improvements for developers and end-users, creating more productivity, improved performance, and security features that delight Java community members worldwide.
This release brings substantial advancements that aim to further advance productivity, performance, and security measures.
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Conclusion
This article has provided an informative tour of Java versions and their features. While each release offers many exciting improvements for developers, we only focused on those that matter for our discussion here.
Familiarizing yourself with all versions is essential for learning the language better, so we wish all coding enthusiasts success and promising coding careers ahead.
Here, we have examined some of the significant features of JDK 8-21. We provided a theoretical functional overview through this article; now, you can further study each new or enhanced feature or enhancement within Java development services to gain more clarity regarding the Java programming usage of each feature.
