Java Version History

Java is a programming language and computing platform first released by Sun Microsystems in 1995

• Java 1.0 (January 1996):
  • Initial release of Java, introducing the Java programming language and core libraries.
  • Key features include platform independence, object-oriented programming, and a robust security model.
• Java 1.1 (February 1997):
  • Inner classes
  • JavaBeans,
  • changes to the AWT event model.
• Java 2 (December 1998):
  • The first major update to Java, which included the introduction of the J2SE (Java 2 Standard Edition)
  • J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) platforms.
  • Renamed as “Java 2” to distinguish it from the enterprise-focused Java EE.
  • Introduced the Swing GUI toolkit
  • the Collections framework
  • Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI)
  • Java Plug-in.
• Java 3 (2000):
  • Introduced the HotSpot JVM
  • Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI)
• Java 4 (2002):
  • Introduced the Java Print Service
  • Java Web Start feature.
• Java 5 (2004):
  • Introduced generics
  • annotations
  • autoboxing and unboxing
  • the enhanced for loop
  • Enumerations
  • Var Args
• Java 6 (2006):
  • improved the performance of the JIT compiler
  • Added scripting support with the introduction of the Java Compiler API, Scripting API, and the inclusion of the Rhino JavaScript engine.
• Java 7 (2011):
  • Introduced support for type inference with the “diamond operator”
  • improved exception handling
  • support for the new file system API.
• Java 8 (2014):
  • Lambda expressions
  • Stream API for functional-style operations on collections
  • Date and Time API (java.time package)
  • Default and static methods in interfaces
  • Nashorn JavaScript engine
  • PermGen space replaced with Metaspace
• Java 9 (2017):
  • Module system (Project Jigsaw)
  • REPL (JShell)
  • Reactive Streams API
  • Enhanced Process API
  • HTTP/2 support
  • Various JVM improvements
• Java 10 (2018):
  • Local variable type inference with var keyword
  • Enhanced garbage collection
  • Application class-data sharing
  • Experimental Java-based Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler (GraalVM)
  • the Local-Variable Type Inference
  • the Garbage-Collector Interface,
  • the Thread-Local Handshakes.
• Java 11 (2018):
  • Introduced the Local-Variable Syntax for Lambda Parameters
  • Remove the Java EE and CORBA modules.
  • Long-term support (LTS) release
  • Removed Java EE modules (moved to Jakarta EE)
  • Introduced the Java Platform Module System (JPMS)
  • HTTP Client API
  • Unicode 10 support
• Java 12 (2019):
  • the switch expressions
  • the JVM Constants API.
  • Added switch expressions (preview feature)
  • Compact Number Formatting
  • New GC algorithm (Shenandoah
• Java 13 (2019):
  • Added text blocks (preview feature)
  • Switch expressions (preview feature)
  • Dynamic CDS Archives
• Java 14 (2020):
  • Added records (preview feature)
  • Pattern matching for instanceof (preview feature)
  • Switch expressions (standard feature)
  • Text blocks (standard feature)
• Java 15 (2021)
  • Added sealed classes (preview feature)
  • Text blocks (standard feature)
  • Hidden classes
  • ZGC (Garbage Collector) enhancements
• Java 16 (2021) :
  • Added records (standard feature)
  • Pattern matching for instanceof (standard feature)
  • Unix-domain socket channels
  • Foreign function and memory API (incubator feature)

• Java 17 (Java SE 17) (September 2021):
  • Added Sealed Classes (standard feature)
  • Pattern matching for switch (standard feature)
  • Foreign function and memory API (standard feature)
  • Enhanced Pseudo-Random Number Generators
  • Strong encapsulation of JDK internals