Introduction to Java SE 17
Java SE 17, officially released on September 14, 2021, marks a significant advancement in the Java platform as the second Long-Term Support (LTS) release under Oracle’s six-month release cadence. This version is set to enjoy LTS until September 2029, ensuring sustained support and updates for enterprise and production environments.
Quick Facts about Java SE 17
- Official Release Date: September 14, 2021
- LTS Support End Date: September 2029
- Download Link: Java SE 17 Installer (Ensure you agree to Oracle’s license terms before downloading.)
Key Highlights
- Records: Simplify the creation of data-carrying classes with minimal boilerplate code, making it easier to create immutable data classes.
- Sealed Classes: Introduce a new way to restrict which classes or interfaces can extend or implement them, improving control over inheritance and enhancing API design.
- Pattern Matching for instanceof: Streamline code by reducing the need for explicit casting, making instance checks and castings more concise and readable.
- Text Blocks: Facilitate the writing of multiline string literals, enhancing readability and reducing the need for escape sequences in complex strings.
Disclaimer
- This course focuses exclusively on Long-Term Support (LTS) versions and standardized features.
- You will not encounter preview or incubator features, nor 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.
- This chapter assumes familiarity with the previous LTS version of Java (Java 11).
- We will cover all new features from every version since Java 11, including those from Java 12 through Java 16, leading up to and including Java 17.