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


VersionKey Features
Java 5            Generics, Annotations, Enum, Varargs
Java 7            Diamond Operator, try-with-resources, NIO.2
Java 8            Lambda, Stream API, Functional interfaces
Java 9                Module System, JShell
Java 10            var keyword
Java 11            HTTP Client, String methods
Java 14            Records (preview), instanceof pattern matching
Java 17            Sealed Classes, LTS version
Java 21            Virtual Threads, Record Patterns, String Templates










 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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