Main Java Version Changes

All language features from Java 8 serve as very good Java base knowledge and everything else (Java 9-20) is pretty much additional features on top of that baseline

Visit: Oracle Java Language Updates

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Table of Contents

• Main Java Version Changes
  • Table of Contents
  • Java 1
  • Java 1.1
  • Java 1.2
  • Java 1.3
  • Java 1.4
  • Java 5
  • Java 6 LTS
  • Java 7
  • Java 8 LTS
  • Java 9
  • Java 10
  • Java 11 LTS
  • Java 12
  • Java 13
  • Java 14
  • Java 15
  • Java 16
  • Java 17 LTS
  • Java 18
  • Java 19
  • Java 20
  • Java 21 LTS
  • Ref.

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Java 1

(released in January 1996)

• The first stable version

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Java 1.1

(released in February 1997)

• AWT event model
• Inner classes
• JavaBeans
• JDBC
• RMI
• Reflection which supported Introspection only, no modification at runtime was possible.
• JIT (Just In Time) compiler for Windows
• Internationalization and Unicode support originating from Taligent

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Java 1.2

(released in December 1998)

• strictfp keyword
• Swing graphical API
• Sun’s JVM was equipped with a JIT compiler for the first time
• Java plug-in
• Collections API
• Reference Types

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Java 1.3

(released in May 2000)

• HotSpot JVM
• Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI)
• Java Platform Debugger Architecture (JPDA)
• JavaSound
• Synthetic proxy classes

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Java 1.4

(released in February 2002)

• assert keyword
• Regular expressions
• Exception chaining
• Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) support
• New I/O; NIO
• Logging API
• Image I/O API
• Integrated XML parser and XSLT processor (JAXP)
• Integrated security and cryptography extensions (JCE, JSSE, JAAS)
• Java Web Start
• Preferences API (java.util.prefs)

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Java 5

(released in September 2004)

• Generics
• Collections API Major Enhancements
• Annotations
• Autoboxing/unboxing
• Enumerations
• Varargs
• Enhanced for each loop
• Static imports
• New concurrency utilities in java.util.concurrent
• Scanner class for parsing data from various input streams and buffers.

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Java 6 LTS

(released in December 2006)

• Scripting Language Support
• Performance improvements
• JAX-WS
• JDBC 4.0
• Java Compiler API
• JAXB 2.0 and StAX parser
• Pluggable annotations
• New GC algorithms

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Java 7

(released in July 2011)

• JVM support for dynamic languages
• Compressed 64-bit pointers
• Strings in switch
• Automatic resource management in try-statement
• The Diamond Operator
• Updated Collections API
• Simplified varargs method declaration
• Binary integer literals
• Underscores in numeric literals
• Improved exception handling
• ForkJoin Framework
• NIO 2.0 having support for multiple file systems, file metadata and symbolic links
• WatchService
• Timsort is used to sort collections and arrays of objects instead of merge sort
• APIs for the graphics features
• Support for new network protocols, including SCTP and Sockets Direct Protocol

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Java 8 LTS

(released in March 2014):

• Lambda expression support in APIs
• Method References
• Stream API
• Functional interface and default methods
• Built-in Functional Interfaces
• Optional
• Nashorn — JavaScript runtime which allows developers to embed JavaScript code within applications
• Annotation on Java Types
• Unsigned Integer Arithmetic
• Repeating annotations
• New Date and Time API
• Statically-linked JNI libraries
• Launch JavaFX applications from jar files
• Remove the permanent generation from GC

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Java 9

(released in September 2017):

• Modular system (Project Jigsaw)
• JShell (interactive Java shell)
• HTTP/2 client
• Reactive Streams API (Flow API)
• Process API updates
• Private methods in interfaces
• Improved version string scheme

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Java 10

(released in March 2018):

• Local variable type inference (var keyword)
• Application class-data sharing
• Garbage Collector Interface
• Time-based release versioning

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Java 11 LTS

(released in September 2018):

• Local variable syntax for lambda parameters
• HTTP Client API (standardized)
• Flight Recorder (profiling and diagnostics)
• Launch Single-File Source-Code Programs
• Epsilon Garbage Collector

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Java 12

(released in March 2019):

• Switch expressions (preview feature)
• Compact Number Formatting
• Teeing Collectors
• Shenandoah Garbage Collector (experimental)
• Microbenchmark Suite

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Java 13

(released in September 2019):

• Text blocks (preview feature)
• Switch expressions (standard feature)
• Dynamic CDS Archives
• ZGC (experimental garbage collector)
• Reimplement the Legacy Socket API

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Java 14

(released in March 2020):

• Pattern matching for instanceof (preview feature)
• Records (preview feature)
• Helpful NullPointerExceptions
• ZGC: Concurrent Thread-Stack Processing
• Non-Volatile Mapped Byte Buffers

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Java 15

(released in September 2020):

• Sealed classes (preview feature)
• Hidden classes
• Text blocks (standard feature)
• ZGC: NUMA-Aware Memory Allocation
• Unix-Domain Socket Channels

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Java 16

(released in March 2021):

• Records (standard feature)
• Sealed classes (standard feature)
• Pattern matching for instanceof (standard feature)
• Foreign function and memory API (Incubator)
• Alpine Linux Support

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Java 17 LTS

(released in September 2021):

• Sealed classes (final form)
• Pattern matching for switch (preview feature)
• Strong encapsulation of JDK internals
• Foreign function and memory API (standard feature)
• Sealed class JARs
• macOS rendering pipeline for AWT and Swing

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Java 18

(released in March 2022):

• UTF-8 by Default
• Simple Web Server
• Code Snippets in Java API Documentation
• Reimplement Core Reflection with Method Handles
• Vector API (Third Incubator)
• Internet-Address Resolution SPI
• Foreign Function & Memory API (Second Incubator)
• Pattern Matching for switch (Second Preview)
• Deprecate Finalization for Removal

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Java 19

(released in September 2022):

• Record Patterns (Preview)
• Linux/RISC-V Port
• Foreign Function & Memory API (Preview)
• Virtual Threads (Preview)
• Vector API (Fourth Incubator)
• Pattern Matching for switch (Third Preview)
• Structured Concurrency (Incubator)

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Java 20

(released in March 2023):

• Scoped Values (Incubator)
• Record Patterns (Second Preview)
• Pattern Matching for switch (Fourth Preview)
• Foreign Function & Memory API (Second Preview)
• Virtual Threads (Second Preview)
• Structured Concurrency (Second Incubator)
• Vector API (Fifth Incubator)

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Java 21 LTS

(to be released in September 2023):

• String Templates (Preview)
• Sequenced Collections
• Generational ZGC
• Record Patterns
• Pattern Matching for switch
• Foreign Function & Memory API (Third Preview)
• Unnamed Patterns and Variables (Preview)
• Virtual Threads
• Unnamed Classes and Instance Main Methods (Preview)
• Scoped Values (Preview)
• Vector API (Sixth Incubator)
• Deprecate the Windows 32-bit x86 Port for Removal
• Prepare to Disallow the Dynamic Loading of Agents
• Key Encapsulation Mechanism API
• Structured Concurrency (Preview)

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Ref.

• https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/20/language/java-language-changes.html#GUID-6459681C-6881-45D8-B0DB-395D1BD6DB9B
• https://medium.com/codex/java-history-from-1-0-to-java-18-d62f69b2a48a
• https://www.marcobehler.com/guides/a-guide-to-java-versions-and
• https://ondro.inginea.eu/index.php/new-in-java-versions-since-java-8/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_version_history

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