A categorized list of all Java and JVM features since JDK 8 to 21

The information from the requested webpage can be organized by Java version and feature categories.

Here's a structured summary:

Java and JVM Features (JDK 8 to 21)

JDK 8

• Language
  • Lambda Expressions: Introduce functional programming with concise syntax.
  • Method References: Provide easy-to-read method pointers.
  • Default Methods: Allow interfaces to have methods with implementations.
• Libraries
  • Stream API: Facilitate functional-style operations on collections.
  • Optional Class: Handle nullability more gracefully.
  • New Date-Time API: Replace the outdated java.util.Date and Calendar.
• JVM
  • PermGen Removal: Eliminate the permanent generation memory space.

JDK 9

• Language
  • Private Interface Methods: Enable sharing code among non-abstract methods.
• Libraries
  • Module System (Project Jigsaw): Introduce modularity to the Java platform.
  • JShell (REPL): Provide an interactive tool to evaluate expressions.
• JVM
  • Ahead-of-Time Compilation: Precompile bytecode into native code.
  • Garbage Collector Interface: Improve flexibility for different garbage collectors.

JDK 10

• Language
  • Local-Variable Type Inference (var): Simplify variable declarations.
• Libraries
  • Collectors.toUnmodifiableList: Create unmodifiable lists from streams.
• JVM
  • Application Class-Data Sharing: Improve startup performance and memory footprint.

JDK 11

• Language
  • Local-Variable Syntax for Lambda Parameters: Allow var in lambda parameters.
• Libraries
  • HttpClient API: Modernize HTTP communication.
  • String Methods (lines, strip, etc.): Enhance string processing capabilities.
• JVM
  • Epsilon: A No-Op Garbage Collector for performance testing.

JDK 12

• Language
  • Switch Expressions (Preview): Simplify and extend switch statements.
• Libraries
  • Compact Number Formatting: Format numbers in a compact, human-readable form.
• JVM
  • Shenandoah Garbage Collector: Reduce GC pause times.

JDK 13

• Language
  • Text Blocks (Preview): Simplify multi-line string literals.
• Libraries
  • Reimplementation of the Legacy Socket API: Improve maintainability and performance.
• JVM
  • Dynamic CDS Archives: Improve class-data sharing at runtime.

JDK 14

• Language
  • Records (Preview): Provide a compact syntax for data carrier classes.
  • Pattern Matching for instanceof (Preview): Simplify type checks and casts.
• Libraries
  • Helpful NullPointerExceptions: Improve debugging with better exception messages.
• JVM
  • NUMA-Aware Memory Allocation: Optimize memory allocation for NUMA systems.

JDK 15

• Language
  • Sealed Classes (Preview): Restrict which classes can extend or implement them.
• Libraries
  • Hidden Classes: Support frameworks that generate classes at runtime.
• JVM
  • ZGC: A Scalable Low-Latency GC: Improve performance and scalability.

JDK 16

• Language
  • Records: Finalize the compact data carrier class feature.
  • Pattern Matching for instanceof: Simplify type checks and casts.
• Libraries
  • Vector API (Incubator): Provide SIMD programming capabilities.
• JVM
  • Concurrent Thread-Stack Processing for ZGC: Improve garbage collection efficiency.

JDK 17

• Language
  • Sealed Classes: Finalize the feature to restrict class hierarchies.
• Libraries
  • Enhanced Pseudo-Random Number Generators: Offer better random number generation.
• JVM
  • Context-Specific Deserialization Filters: Improve security during deserialization.

JDK 18

• Language
  • UTF-8 by Default: Set UTF-8 as the default charset.
• Libraries
  • Simple Web Server: Provide a minimal web server for prototyping.
• JVM
  • Vector API (Second Incubator): Continue development of SIMD programming.

JDK 19

• Language
  • Pattern Matching for switch (Preview): Enhance switch statements with pattern matching.
• Libraries
  • Foreign Function & Memory API (Preview): Interoperate with native code and memory.
• JVM
  • Virtual Threads (Preview): Simplify concurrency with lightweight threads.

JDK 20

• Language
  • Record Patterns (Preview): Enable pattern matching for record types.
• Libraries
  • Scoped Values (Incubator): Facilitate safe, efficient access to variables.
• JVM
  • Generational ZGC: Introduce generational support in ZGC.

JDK 21

• Language
  • String Templates (Preview): Simplify string formatting and embedding expressions.
• Libraries
  • Sequenced Collections: Introduce new collection interfaces for sequence handling.
• JVM
  • Unnamed Patterns and Variables (Preview): Enhance pattern matching flexibility.

For more detailed information, visit A categorized list of all Java and JVM features since JDK 8 to 21.