Introduction to Java SE 11

Java SE 11, officially released on September 25, 2018, marks a significant advancement in the Java platform as the first Long-Term Support (LTS) release under Oracle’s six-month release cadence. This version is set to enjoy LTS until September 2026, ensuring sustained support and updates for enterprise and production environments.

Quick Facts about Java SE 11

• Official Release Date: September 25, 2018
• LTS Support End Date: September 2026
• Download Link: Java SE 11 Installer (Ensure you agree to Oracle’s license terms before downloading.)

Key Highlights

• The Java Platform Module System improves performance and security by introducing a modular approach to Java applications, facilitating better scalability and maintainability.
• Introduced the new var keyword for local variable type inference, enhancing the language’s readability and simplicity.
• Standardization of the HTTP Client API that supports HTTP/2, greatly improving HTTP communication with modern web servers.
• Adds convenient factory methods for Collections, Lists, Sets, and Maps, making it easier and cleaner to create instances of these collections.

Disclaimer

• This entire course strives to adhere to the ethos of paying attention only to LTS versions and standardised features.
• That means you won’t see preview or incubator features, nor will you see non-LTS versions.
• Instead, you’ll see features once they’re officially standardised, and features from non-LTS versions will be included in the next LTS versions’ summary and deep dive.
• Concretely, this chapter assumes you’re caught up with the previous most recent LTS version of Java (Java 8).
• We will also cover all new features from every version since Java 8 up to and including Java 11 (that means Java 9 and Java 10 are included).