Java Versions and Features – A Complete Guide for Students
A Java version refers to a specific release of the Java Development Kit (JDK), which includes the Java compiler, runtime libraries, and development tools.
Each version brings:
-
New language features
-
Performance improvements
-
Security upgrades
-
API/library enhancements
Oracle now follows a 6-month release cycle, meaning a new version of Java is released twice a year — in March and September.
Java Version History with Features
Java 1.0 (1996) – The Beginning
-
The first official Java release by Sun Microsystems
-
Supported basic OOP features (classes, objects)
-
Included AWT (Abstract Window Toolkit) for GUI development
-
Applets were introduced
Java 1.1 (1997)
-
Introduced Inner Classes
-
Added JavaBeans (component model)
-
Introduced Reflection API
-
Improved JDBC (Java Database Connectivity)
Java 1.2 (1998) – Java 2 Platform Begins
-
Introduced Swing for GUI
-
Introduced Collections Framework (List, Set, Map)
-
JIT Compiler included
-
Called J2SE for the first time
Java 1.3 (2000)
-
Improved RMI and CORBA support
-
Java Sound API added
-
HotSpot JVM became default
Java 1.4 (2002)
-
Introduced assert keyword
-
NIO (New Input/Output) package added
-
Logging API introduced
-
Regular Expressions support added
Java 5 (2004) – Major Upgrade
-
Generics support
-
Enhanced for-each loop
-
Autoboxing/unboxing
-
Annotations (
@Override
,@Deprecated
) -
Enumerations (enum) introduced
-
Varargs (
...
) support
Java 6 (2006)
-
Scripting support with JavaScript (via
javax.script
) -
Enhanced JDBC 4.0
-
Improved Web Services support
-
Performance improvements
Java 7 (2011) – Project Coin Features
-
try-with-resources for better exception handling
-
Diamond operator (
<>
) -
String in
switch
statement -
NIO.2 for file system handling
-
Multi-catch and improved exception handling
Java 8 (2014) – Revolutionary Features
-
Lambda expressions
-
Stream API for functional programming
-
Functional interfaces (e.g.,
Predicate
,Function
) -
Default and static methods in interfaces
-
Optional class to handle nulls
-
Date and Time API (
java.time.*
)
Java 9 (2017)
-
JShell (REPL) – run code interactively
-
Module system (Project Jigsaw) for better code organization
-
Factory methods for collections (
List.of()
,Set.of()
)
Java 10 (2018)
-
Introduced
var
keyword for local variable type inference -
Performance optimizations (Garbage Collection improvements)
Java 11 (2018) – LTS (Long-Term Support)
-
New HTTP Client API
-
String methods:
isBlank()
,lines()
,strip()
-
Removed deprecated APIs (Java EE, CORBA modules)
-
Local
var
in lambda parameters
Java 12 (2019)
-
Switch expressions (preview feature)
-
Compact Number Formatting
-
New garbage collection improvements
Java 13 (2019)
-
Text blocks (preview): multi-line strings
-
Dynamic CDS (Class Data Sharing)
Java 14 (2020)
-
Records (preview) – compact syntax for data classes
-
Pattern matching for instanceof (preview)
Java 15 (2020)
-
Sealed classes (preview) – restrict class inheritance
-
Hidden classes (for frameworks and libraries)
Java 16 (2021)
-
Records became a stable feature
-
New memory and performance enhancements
-
Pattern Matching improvements
Java 17 (2021) – LTS Version
-
Sealed classes (stable)
-
Pattern matching for
instanceof
-
Enhanced pseudo-random number generators
-
Removed old and legacy APIs
Java 18 (2022)
-
UTF-8 as default charset
-
Simple web server API (for testing and prototyping)
-
Structured concurrency (incubator)
Java 19 (2022)
-
Virtual threads (preview) – lightweight threading model
-
Record patterns (preview)
-
Structured concurrency enhancements
Java 20 (2023)
-
Continuation of virtual threads (preview)
-
Pattern matching improvements
-
Scoped values (incubator)
Java 21 (2023) – Latest LTS
-
Virtual threads (stable)
-
String templates (preview)
-
Record patterns (stable)
-
Sequenced collections
-
Pattern matching for switch (standardized)
-
Performance & GC tuning for cloud-native apps
Summary Table: Java Versions and Key Features
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Final Thoughts for Students
Understanding the evolution of Java helps you:
-
Write modern, clean code
-
Prepare for interviews and certifications
-
Choose the right version for your project
If you're just starting out, begin with Java 8 or Java 17 (LTS).
If you're working on modern cloud apps, explore Java 21 for cutting-edge features.
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