Since version 9, Java has new features every 6 months and it’s very hard to keep track of these new changes. Most of the information on the internet describes changes between the last 2 Java versions. However, if you’re in a similar situation as me, you’re not using one of the latest Java versions but a version several releases older. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then it’s useful to know which new features were added since the version you use now, or between the versions that you use now and the one you want to start using next. Therefore I’ve compiled a table with all new features added since Java 8 for each new Java version and I keep it updated for every newer Java version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Below you can find tables for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nNote that I didn’t include all the new features and API additions, only those that are useful for a wide range of developers, to keep the list brief.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
This article isn’t about choosing the right Java version for you to use. But I’ll at least summarize all the Java versions since Java 8 and for your convenience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Java 8 – LTS release (Long Term Support), last LTS release before JPMS (modules) were introduced in Java 9<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Java 11 – LTS release<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Java 17 – LTS release, the latest LTS release until September 2023<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Java 19 – non-LTS release, the latest version released in September 2022<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- all other Java versions – non-LTS releases<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In most cases, you should only use LTS releases in production. That is unless you have specific needs to use the greatest and latest and are willing to upgrade to a new Java version every 6 months. To find out more about Java LTS releases, you can read The art of long-term support and what LTS means for the Java ecosystem<\/a> by Oracle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Java language features and APIs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n