Java Version History

Evolution of Java

Explore key features and release dates.

Grid List
JDK Version 1.0
JDK 1.0 is called as OAK, and it is released on 23 Januray, 1996. Codenamed OAK.
  • Core Language Features (Basic Java Features)
  • Support for Graphics (AWT Framework)
  • Support for Creating a Java Applet
  • Libraries for Input and Output
  • Libraries for Networking
JDK Version 1.1
JDK 1.1 is released on 19 Januray, 1997.
  • JDBC (Java Database connectivity)
  • Inner Classes
  • Java Beans
  • RMI (Remote Method Invocation)
  • Reflection(introspection only)
J2SE Version 1.2
J2SE 1.2 is called as playground and it is released on 8 December, 1998.
  • Collections Framework
  • Java String memory map for constants
  • Just In Time (JIT) compiler
  • Jar Signer for signing Java ARchive (JAR) files
  • Policy Tool for granting access to system resources
  • Java Foundation Classes (JFC) which consists of Swing 1.0, Drag and Drop, and Java 2D class libraries
  • Java Plug-in
  • Scrollable result sets, BLOB, CLOB, batch update, user-defined types in JDBC
  • Audio support in Applets
JDK Version 1.3
J2SE 1.3 is called as Kestrel and it is released on 8 May, 2000.
  • Java Sound
  • Jar Indexing
  • A huge list of enhancements in almost all the java area
JDK Version 1.4
J2SE 1.4 is called as Merlin and it is released on 6 February, 2002.
  • XML Processing
  • Java Print Service
  • Logging API
  • Java Web Start
  • JDBC 3.0 API
  • Assertions
  • Preferences API
  • Chained Exception
  • IPv6 Support
  • Regular Expressions
  • Image Input and Output API
JDK Version 5
J2SE 5 is called as Tiger and it is released on 30 September, 2004.
  • Generics
  • Enhanced for Loop
  • Autoboxing/Unboxing
  • Typesafe Enums
  • Varargs
  • Static Import
  • Metadata (Annotations)
  • Instrumentation
  • Generics
  • Enhanced for Loop
  • Autoboxing/Unboxing
  • Typesafe Enums
  • Varargs
  • Static Import
  • Metadata (Annotations)
  • Instrumentation
JDK Version 6
J2SE 6 is called as Mustang and it is released on 11 December, 2006.
  • Scripting Language Support
  • JDBC 4.0 API
  • Java Compiler API
  • Pluggable Annotations
  • Native PKI, Java GSS, Kerberos and LDAP support
  • Integrated Web Services
  • Lot more enhancements
JDK Version 7
J2SE 7 is called as Dolphin and it is released on 28 July, 2011.
  • Strings in switch Statement
  • Type Inference for Generic Instance Creation
  • Multiple Exception Handling
  • Support for Dynamic Languages
  • Try with Resources
  • Java nio Package
  • Binary Literals, underscore in literals
  • Diamond Syntax
  • Automatic null Handling
JDK Version 8 LTS
Java 8 was released on 18 March 2014. The code name culture is dropped with Java 8 and so no official code name going forward from Java 8.
  • Lambda Expressions
  • Pipelines and Streams
  • Date and Time API
  • Default Methods
  • Type Annotations
  • Nashhorn JavaScript Engine
  • Concurrent Accumulators
  • Parallel operations
  • PermGen Error Removed
  • TLS SNI
JDK Version 9
Java 9 is released on September 21, 2017.
  • Java platform module system
  • Interface Private Methods
  • HTTP 2 Client
  • JShell � REPL Tool
  • Platform and JVM Logging
  • Process API Updates
  • Collection API Updates
  • Improvements in Stream API
  • Multi-Release JAR Files
  • @Deprecated Tag Changes
  • Stack Walking
  • Java Docs Updates
  • Miscellaneous Other Features
JDK Version 10
Java 10 is released on 20 March 2018.
  • Local Variable Type Inference
  • Time-Based Release Versioning
  • Garbage-Collector Interface
  • Parallel Full GC for G1
  • Heap Allocation on Alternative Memory Devices
  • Consolidate the JDK Forest into a Single Repository
  • Application Class-Data Sharing
  • Additional Unicode Language-Tag Extensions
  • Root Certificates
  • Experimental Java-Based JIT Compiler
  • Thread-Local Handshakes
  • Remove the Native-Header Generation Tool
  • New Added APIs and Options
  • Removed APIs and Options
JDK Version 11 LTS
Java 11 is released on September 2018.
  • HTTP Client API
  • Launch Single-File Programs Without Compilation
  • String API Changes
  • Collection.toArray(IntFunction)
  • Files.readString() and Files.writeString()
  • Optional.isEmpty()
JDK Version 12
J2SE 12 is released on March 19, 2019.
  • Collectors.teeing() in Stream API
  • String API Changes
  • Files.mismatch(Path, Path)
  • Compact Number Formatting
  • Support for Unicode 11
  • Switch Expressions
JDK Version 13
J2SE 13 is released on September 19, 2019.
  • Updated Switch Expressions
  • Include Text Blocks
  • Support Legacy socket API
JDK Version 14
J2SE 14 is released on March 19, 2020.
  • Support Event Streaming
  • Improved NullPointerException
  • Removal of the Concurrent Mark Sweep (CMS) in the garbage collector
JDK Version 15
J2SE 15 is released on September 15, 2020.
  • Sealed Classes
  • Pattern Matching for instanceof
  • Records
  • Text Blocks
  • Hidden Classes
  • Remove the Nashorn JavaScript Engine
  • Reimplement the Legacy DatagramSocket API
  • Disable and Deprecate Biased Locking
  • Shenandoah: A Low-Pause-Time Garbage Collector
  • Remove the Solaris and SPARC Ports
  • Foreign-Memory Access API
  • Deprecate RMI Activation for Removal
JDK Version 16
J2SE 16 is released on March 16, 2021.
  • Vector API (Incubator)
  • Enable C++14 Language Features
  • Migrate from Mercurial to Git
  • Migrate to GitHub
  • ZGC: Concurrent Thread-Stack Processing
  • Unix-Domain Socket Channels
  • Alpine Linux Port � not yet stable
  • Elastic Metaspace
  • Windows/AArch64 Port
  • Foreign Linker API (Incubator)
  • Warnings for Value-Based Classes
  • Packaging Tool
  • Foreign-Memory Access API (Third Incubator)
  • Pattern Matching for instanceof
  • Records
  • Strongly Encapsulate JDK Internals by Default
  • Sealed Classes (Second Preview)
JDK Version 17 LTS
J2SE 17 is released on September 14, 2021.
  • Restore Always-Strict Floating-Point Semantics
  • Enhanced Pseudo-Random Number Generators
  • New macOS Rendering Pipeline
  • macOS/AArch64 Port
  • Deprecate the Applet API for Removal
  • Strongly Encapsulate JDK Internals
  • Pattern Matching for switch (Preview)
  • Remove RMI Activation
  • Sealed Classes
  • Remove the Experimental AOT and JIT Compiler
  • Deprecate the Security Manager for Removal
  • Foreign Function & Memory API (Incubator)
  • Vector API (Second Incubator)
  • Context-Specific Deserialization Filters
JDK Version 18
J2SE 18 is released on March 22, 2022.
  • UTF-8 by Default
  • Simple Web Server
  • Code Snippets in Java API Documentation
  • Reimplement Core Reflection with Method Handles
  • Vector API (Third Incubator)
  • Internet-Address Resolution SPI
  • Foreign Function & Memory API (Second Incubator)
  • Pattern Matching for switch
  • Deprecate Finalization for Removal
JDK Version 19
J2SE 19 is released on September 20, 2022.
  • Record Patterns
  • Linux/RISC-V Port
  • Foreign Function & Memory API
  • Virtual Threads
  • Vector API (Fourth Incubator)
  • Pattern Matching for switch
  • Structured Concurrency (Incubator)
JDK Version 20
J2SE 20 is released on March 21, 2023.
  • Scoped Values (Incubator)
  • Record Patterns
  • Pattern Matching for switch
  • Foreign Function & Memory API
  • Virtual Threads
  • Structured Concurrency (Second Incubator)
  • Vector API (Fifth Incubator)
JDK Version 21 LTS
J2SE 21 is released on September 19, 2023.
  • String Templates
  • Sequenced Collections
  • Generational ZGC
  • Record Patterns
  • Pattern Matching for switch
  • Foreign Function & Memory API
  • Unnamed Patterns and Variables
  • Virtual Threads
  • Unnamed Classes and Instance Main Methods
  • Scoped Values
  • Vector API (Sixth Incubator)
  • Deprecate the Windows 32-bit x86 Port for Removal
  • Prepare to Disallow the Dynamic Loading of Agents
  • Key Encapsulation Mechanism API
  • Structured Concurrency
JDK Version 22
J2SE 22 is released on March 19, 2024.
  • Region Pinning for G1
  • Statements before super(...)
  • Foreign Function & Memory API
  • Unnamed Variables & Patterns
  • Class-File API
  • Launch Multi-File Source-Code Programs
  • String Templates
  • Vector API (Seventh Incubator)
  • Stream Gatherers
  • Structured Concurrency
  • Implicitly Declared Classes and Instance Main Methods
  • Scoped Values
JDK Version 23
J2SE 23 is released on September 17, 2024.
  • Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch
  • Class-File API
  • Markdown Documentation Comments
  • Vector API (Eighth Incubator)
  • Stream Gatherers
  • Deprecate the Memory-Access Methods in sun.misc.Unsafe for Removal
  • ZGC: Generational Mode by Default
  • Module Import Declarations
  • Implicitly Declared Classes and Instance Main Methods
  • Structured Concurrency
  • Scoped Values
  • Flexible Constructor Bodies
JDK Version 24
J2SE 24 is released on March 18, 2025.
  • Generational Shenandoah (Experimental)
  • Compact Object Headers (Experimental) (formerly known as Project Lilliput)
  • Prepare to Restrict the Use of JNI
  • Late Barrier Expansion for G1
  • Key Derivation Function API
  • Remove the Windows 32-bit x86 Port
  • Ahead-of-Time Class Loading & Linking
  • Class-File API
  • Stream Gatherers
  • Permanently Disable the Security Manager
  • Scoped Values
  • Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch
  • Vector API (Ninth Incubator)
  • ZGC: Remove the Non-Generational Mode
  • Synchronize Virtual Threads without Pinning
  • Flexible Constructor Bodies
  • Linking Run-Time Images without JMODs
  • Module Import Declarations
  • Simple Source Files and Instance Main Methods
  • Quantum-Resistant Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism
  • Quantum-Resistant Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm
  • Warn upon Use of Memory-Access Methods in sun.misc.Unsafe
  • Structured Concurrency
  • Deprecate the 32-bit x86 Port for Removal
JDK Version 25
J2SE 25 is released on September 16, 2025
  • PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects
  • Remove the 32-bit x86 Port
  • Structured Concurrency
  • Scoped Values
  • Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch
  • Vector API (Tenth Incubator)
  • JFR CPU-Time Profiling (Experimental)
  • Key Derivation Function API
  • Module Import Declarations
  • Compact Source Files and Instance Main Methods
  • Flexible Constructor Bodies
  • Ahead-of-Time Command-Line Ergonomics
  • Ahead-of-Time Method Profiling
  • JFR Cooperative Sampling
  • Compact Object Headers
  • JFR Method Timing & Tracing
  • Generational Shenandoah
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