Java 17, also known as JDK 17, is the latest release of the Java Development Kit, and was released on September 14, 2021. It is a long-term support (LTS) release, meaning it will receive support and updates for a minimum of eight years. Java 17 includes a variety of new features, improvements, and bug fixes that make it a significant release for developers.
New Features in Java 17
Some of the new features and enhancements in Java 17 include:
- Sealed Classes: This feature allows developers to restrict the set of classes that can extend or implement a class or interface. Sealed classes provide more control over class hierarchies, and can help prevent the introduction of unexpected behavior by limiting inheritance.
- Pattern Matching for instanceof: This feature provides a concise and expressive way to check the type of an object and extract information from it. Pattern matching simplifies code and improves readability, especially in complex codebases.
- Concurrent Thread-Local Handshakes: This feature allows applications to pause and resume threads, improving the responsiveness and efficiency of multithreaded applications.
- Enhanced Pseudo-Random Number Generators: Java 17 includes new algorithms for generating random numbers, improving performance and security.
- Foreign Function and Memory API: This feature provides a standard way to interact with native code and memory, simplifying the integration of Java applications with native libraries and systems.
Performance Improvements in Java 17
Java 17 includes a number of performance improvements, including:
- Faster Object Deserialization: Java 17 includes improvements to the ObjectInputStream class, which deserializes objects from binary data. These improvements can result in faster deserialization times for certain types of objects.
- Enhanced NUMA-Aware Memory Allocation: Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) is a memory architecture that can improve performance in multi-socket systems. Java 17 includes improvements to memory allocation that are optimized for NUMA systems, improving performance for certain applications.
- Enhanced Vector API: The Vector API introduced in Java 16 has been enhanced in Java 17, providing improved performance and additional features for vector operations.
Security Enhancements in Java 17
Java 17 includes several security enhancements, including:
- Removal of the TLS 1.0 and 1.1 Protocols: Java 17 removes support for the TLS 1.0 and 1.1 protocols, which are no longer considered secure.
- Default X.509 Certificate Validation: Java 17 now performs X.509 certificate validation by default, improving the security of applications that use SSL/TLS.
- Deprecation of the Security Manager: The Security Manager has been deprecated in Java 17, due to its complexity and potential impact on performance. Developers are encouraged to use other security mechanisms instead.
Conclusion
Java 17 / JDK 17 is a significant release that includes a variety of new features, performance improvements, and security enhancements. It is an LTS release, which means that it will be supported for a long time, providing stability and reliability for developers. With the new features and enhancements in Java 17, developers can build better, more efficient, and more secure applications.
