Java is a popular programming language that has been in use for over 25 years. It was first released in 1995 by Sun Microsystems, which was later acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2010. Java is a general-purpose programming language that is used for building a wide range of applications, including mobile apps, desktop apps, web applications, and enterprise software.
Java is an object-oriented programming language that is designed to be platform-independent. This means that Java code can run on any platform that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems. Java is also a compiled language, which means that Java code is compiled into bytecode that can be executed by the JVM.
Java has been constantly evolving since its first release, with new versions being released periodically to add new features and improve the language. The latest version of Java as of April 2023 is Java 17.
Java 17 was released on September 14, 2021. It is a long-term support (LTS) release, which means that it will receive updates and support from Oracle for a longer period of time compared to non-LTS releases. Java 17 is the first LTS release since Java 11, which was released in 2018.
Java 17 includes several new features and improvements, including:
- Sealed classes and interfaces: Sealed classes and interfaces are a new language feature in Java 17 that allow you to restrict the subclasses or implementors of a class or interface. This can help improve the safety and maintainability of your code by preventing unexpected or unauthorized changes to the class hierarchy.
- Pattern matching for instanceof: Pattern matching for instanceof is a new language feature that allows you to combine an instanceof check with a type cast, and to use the result of the cast in the same expression. This can make your code more concise and easier to read.
- Records: Records are a new kind of class in Java 17 that are designed to represent data rather than behavior. Records provide a concise syntax for defining classes that only contain data, and can help reduce boilerplate code in your applications.
- Enhanced switch statements: Switch statements in Java 17 have been enhanced to support new features, such as switch expressions and yield statements. This can make switch statements more powerful and easier to use in your code.
- Foreign function and memory access: Java 17 includes new APIs for accessing foreign functions and memory, which can help improve performance and interoperability with native code.
- Concurrent thread-stack processing for garbage collection: Java 17 includes improvements to the garbage collector that can reduce the latency of garbage collection, particularly for applications with large heaps and many threads.
In addition to these new features, Java 17 includes several other improvements, such as performance optimizations, bug fixes, and security updates. Java 17 is also fully compatible with previous versions of Java, which means that you can easily upgrade to Java 17 without breaking your existing code.
To use Java 17, you will need to download and install a Java Development Kit (JDK) that supports Java 17. Oracle provides a free JDK that includes support for Java 17, as well as commercial JDKs that provide additional features and support.
In summary, Java 17 is the latest version of Java as of April 2023. It is an LTS release that includes several new features and improvements, such as sealed classes and interfaces, pattern matching for instanceof, records, enhanced switch statements, foreign function and memory access, and concurrent thread-stack processing for garbage collection. Java 17 is fully compatible with previous versions of Java, and can be downloaded and installed for free from Oracle’s website.
