This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by shantanu mahakale
Here’s a practical summary of the most useful Java features added from Java 8 to recent versions, focusing on what developers actually use in daily coding.
Java 8 (Most Impactful Release)
- Lambda Expressions → Functional programming
- Stream API → Declarative data processing
-
Functional Interfaces (
@FunctionalInterface) - Default & Static Methods in Interfaces
- Optional Class – Avoid null checks
- Date/Time API (java.time) – Replaces old Date/Calendar
-
Method References (
::operator)
👉 Most popular version in production even today.
Java 9
-
Modules (JPMS) –
module-info.java - JShell – REPL for testing code quickly
- Factory Methods for Collections
List.of(1, 2, 3);
Set.of("A", "B");
- Improved Stream API:
takeWhile(),dropWhile(),iterate()
Java 10
-
Local Variable Type Inference (
var)
var name = "Shantanu";
var list = new ArrayList<String>();
👉 Not like JavaScript – only for local vars.
Java 11 (LTS Release)
- HTTP Client API (modern replacement for HttpURLConnection)
HttpClient client = HttpClient.newHttpClient();
- String Methods
"hello".isBlank();
"line1\nline2".lines();
"test".repeat(3);
varallowed in lambda params
👉 Very stable & widely used enterprise version after Java 8.
Java 14
- Switch Expressions (Enhanced)
int result = switch(x) {
case 1 -> 100;
case 2 -> 200;
default -> 0;
};
- Records (Preview) – Lightweight data classes
- NullPointerException with details
Java 15
- Text Blocks (Multiline Strings)
String json = """
{
"name": "John"
}
""";
👉 Clean JSON, SQL, HTML formatting.
Java 16
- Records (Final Release)
public record User(String name, int age) {}
- Pattern Matching for instanceof
if (obj instanceof String s) {
System.out.println(s.toUpperCase());
}
Java 17 (LTS)
- Sealed Classes
public sealed class Animal permits Dog, Cat {}
- Switch pattern matching (Preview)
- Stronger encapsulation & security updates
👉 Current long-term support (LTS) version used widely in new projects.
Java 19 / 20 (Preview Features)
- Virtual Threads (Project Loom)
Thread.startVirtualThread(() -> {
// lightweight threads
});
👉 Massive performance boost for high-concurrency apps.
- Structured Concurrency Better control over multi-threading workflows.
Java 21 (LTS – Most Recent Major)
- Virtual Threads (Final) – Game changer for performance
- String Templates (Preview)
STR."Hello, ${name}!"
- Sequenced Collections – Ordered access to elements
- Record Patterns – Destructuring syntax
- Pattern Matching Enhancements
👉 Consider upgrading if starting a new application.
Summary Table
| Version | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Java 8 | Lambdas, Streams, Optional, Date API |
| Java 9 | Modules, JShell |
| Java 10 | var keyword |
| Java 11 | HTTP Client API, String methods |
| Java 14 | Switch expressions, Records (preview) |
| Java 15 | Text Blocks |
| Java 16 | Records, Pattern Matching |
| Java 17 | LTS, Sealed Classes |
| Java 19/20 | Virtual Threads (preview) |
| Java 21 | Virtual Threads (final), String templates |
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by shantanu mahakale
shantanu mahakale | Sciencx (2025-11-21T14:30:00+00:00) Quick Recap: Java Versions. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/21/quick-recap-java-versions/
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