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Java version history
Java version history
from Wikipedia

The Java language has undergone several changes since JDK 1.0 as well as numerous additions of classes and packages to the standard library. Since J2SE 1.4, the evolution of the Java language has been governed by the Java Community Process (JCP), which uses Java Specification Requests (JSRs) to propose and specify additions and changes to the Java platform. The language is specified by the Java Language Specification (JLS); changes to the JLS are managed under JSR 901. In September 2017, Mark Reinhold, chief architect of the Java Platform, proposed to change the release train to "one feature release every six months" rather than the then-current two-year schedule.[1][2] This proposal took effect for all following versions, and is still the current release schedule.

In addition to the language changes, other changes have been made to the Java Class Library over the years, which has grown from a few hundred classes in JDK 1.0 to over three thousand in J2SE 5. Entire new APIs, such as Swing and Java2D, have been introduced, and many of the original JDK 1.0 classes and methods have been deprecated, and very few APIs have been removed (at least one, for threading, in Java 22[3]). Some programs allow the conversion of Java programs from one version of the Java platform to an older one (for example Java 5.0 backported to 1.4) (see Java backporting tools).

Regarding Oracle's Java SE support roadmap,[4] Java SE 25 (LTS) is the latest version as of September 2025, while versions 21, 17, 11 and 8 are the other still supported (long-term support − LTS) versions, where Oracle Customers will receive Oracle Premier Support. Oracle continues to release no-cost public Java 8 updates for development[4] and personal use indefinitely.[5]

In the case of OpenJDK, both commercial long-term support and free software updates are available from multiple organizations in the broader community.[6]

Java 25 was released on 16 September 2025.[7]

Release table

[edit]

JDK 1.0

[edit]
JDK 1.0
Released23 January 1996
(29 years ago)
 (1996-01-23)

The first version was released on January 23, 1996.[20][21] The first stable version, JDK 1.0.2, is called Java 1.[21]

It included:

  • core language features (basic java types in java.lang, and utility classes in java.util)
  • support for graphics (AWT framework)
  • support for creating a Java applet
  • libraries for I/O and networking

JDK 1.1

[edit]
JDK 1.1
Released19 February 1997
(28 years ago)
 (1997-02-19)

Major additions in the release on February 19, 1997 included:[22]

J2SE 1.2

[edit]
J2SE 1.2
CodenamePlayground
Released8 December 1998
(26 years ago)
 (1998-12-08)

The release on December 8, 1998 and subsequent releases through J2SE 5.0 were rebranded retrospectively Java 2 and the version name "J2SE" (Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition) replaced JDK to distinguish the base platform from J2EE (Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition) and J2ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition). This was a very significant release of Java as it tripled the size of the Java platform to 1520 classes in 59 packages. Major additions included:[24]

J2SE 1.3

[edit]
J2SE 1.3
CodenameKestrel
Released8 May 2000
(25 years ago)
 (2000-05-08)

The most notable changes in the May 8, 2000 release were:[25][26]

Java 1.3 is the last release of Java to officially support Microsoft Windows 95.[27]

J2SE 1.4

[edit]
J2SE 1.4
CodenameMerlin
Released6 February 2002
(23 years ago)
 (2002-02-06)
Support ended
PublicOctober 2008 (2008-10)
PaidFebruary 2013 (2013-02)

The February 6, 2002 release was the first release of the Java platform developed under the Java Community Process as JSR 59. Major changes included:[28][29]

Public support and security updates for Java 1.4 ended in October 2008. Paid security updates for Oracle customers ended in February 2013.[30]

Java SE 5

[edit]
Java SE 5
CodenameTiger
Released30 September 2004
(21 years ago)
 (2004-09-30)
Support ended
PublicNovember 2009 (2009-11)
PaidApril 2015 (2015-04)

The release on September 30, 2004 was originally numbered 1.5, which is still used as the internal version number. The number was changed to "better reflect the level of maturity, stability, scalability and security of the J2SE".[31] This version was developed under JSR 176.

Java SE 5 entered its end-of-public-updates period on April 8, 2008; updates are no longer available to the public as of November 3, 2009. Updates were available to paid Oracle customers until May 2015.[4]

Tiger added a number of significant new language features:[32][33]

  • Generics: provides compile-time (static) type safety for collections and eliminates the need for most typecasts (type conversion) (specified by JSR 14)
  • Metadata: also called annotations; allows language constructs such as classes and methods to be tagged with additional data, which can then be processed by metadata-aware utilities (specified by JSR 175)
  • Autoboxing/unboxing: automatic conversions between primitive types (such as int) and primitive wrapper classes (such as Integer) (specified by JSR 201)
  • Enumerations: the enum keyword creates a typesafe, ordered list of values (such as Day.MONDAY, Day.TUESDAY, etc.); previously this could only be achieved by non-typesafe constant integers or manually constructed classes (typesafe enum pattern) (specified by JSR 201)
  • Varargs: the last parameter of a method can now be declared using a type name followed by three dots (e.g. void drawtext(String... lines)); in the calling code any number of parameters of that type can be used and they are then placed in an array to be passed to the method, or alternatively the calling code can pass an array of that type
  • Enhanced for each loop: the for loop syntax is extended with special syntax for iterating over each member of either an array or any Iterable, such as the standard Collection classes (specified by JSR 201)
  • Improved semantics of execution for multi-threaded Java programs; the new Java memory model addresses issues of complexity, effectiveness, and performance of previous specifications[34]
  • Static imports

There were also the following improvements to the standard libraries:

Java 5 is the last release of Java to officially support Microsoft Windows 98 and Windows ME,[36] while Windows Vista was the newest version of Windows that Java SE 5 was supported on prior to Java 5 going end-of-life in October 2009.[30]

Java 5 Update 5 (1.5.0_05) is the last release of Java to work on Windows 95 (with Internet Explorer 5.5 installed) and Windows NT 4.0.[37]

Java 5 was first available on Apple Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)[38] and was the default version of Java installed on Apple Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard).

Public support and security updates for Java 1.5 ended in November 2009. Paid security updates for Oracle customers ended in April 2015.

Versioning change

[edit]

This version introduced a new versioning system for the Java language, although the old versioning system continued to be used for developer libraries:

Both version numbers "1.5.0" and "5.0" are used to identify this release of the Java 2 Platform Standard Edition. Version "5.0" is the product version, while "1.5.0" is the developer version. The number "5.0" is used to better reflect the level of maturity, stability, scalability and security of the J2SE.

— "Version 1.5.0 or 5.0?", Java release notes[39]

This correspondence continued through later releases (Java 6 = JDK 1.6, Java 7 = JDK 1.7, and so on).

Java SE 6

[edit]
Java SE 6
CodenameMustang
Released11 November 2006
(18 years ago)
 (2006-11-11)
Support ended
PublicFebruary 2013 (2013-02)

As of the version released on December 11, 2006, Sun replaced the name "J2SE" with Java SE and dropped the ".0" from the version number.[40] Internal numbering for developers remains 1.6.0.[41]

This version was developed under JSR 270.

During the development phase, new builds including enhancements and bug fixes were released approximately weekly. Beta versions were released in February and June 2006, leading up to a final release that occurred on December 11, 2006.

Major changes included in this version:[42][43]

  • Support for older Win9x versions dropped; unofficially, Java 6 Update 7 was the last release of Java shown to work on these versions of Windows.[citation needed] This is believed[by whom?] to be due to the major changes in Update 10.
  • Scripting Language Support (JSR 223): Generic API for tight integration with scripting languages, and built-in Mozilla JavaScript Rhino integration.
  • Dramatic performance improvements for the core platform,[44][45] and Swing.
  • Improved Web Service support through JAX-WS (JSR 224).
  • JDBC 4.0 support (JSR 221).
  • Java Compiler API (JSR 199): an API allowing a Java program to select and invoke a Java Compiler programmatically.
  • Upgrade of JAXB to version 2.0: Including integration of a StAX parser.
  • Support for pluggable annotations (JSR 269).[46]
  • Many GUI improvements, such as integration of SwingWorker in the API, table sorting and filtering, and true Swing double-buffering (eliminating the gray-area effect).
  • JVM improvements include: synchronization and compiler performance optimizations, new algorithms and upgrades to existing garbage collection algorithms, and application start-up performance.

Java 6 can be installed to Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) running on 64-bit (Core 2 Duo and higher) processor machines.[47] Java 6 is also supported by both 32-bit and 64-bit machines running Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard).

Java 6 reached the end of its supported life in February 2013, at which time all public updates, including security updates, were scheduled to be stopped.[48][49] Oracle released two more updates to Java 6 in March and April 2013, which patched some security vulnerabilities.[50][51]

Java 6 updates

[edit]

After Java 6 release, Sun, and later Oracle, released several updates which, while not changing any public API, enhanced end-user usability or fixed bugs.[52]

Table of Java 6 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 6 2006-12-23 This release adds many enhancements in the fields of Web services, scripting, databases, pluggable annotations, and security, as well as quality, compatibility, and stability. JConsole is now officially supported. Java DB support has been added.
Java SE 6 Update 1[citation needed] 2007-05-07
Java SE 6 Update 2[citation needed] 2007-07-03
Java SE 6 Update 3[citation needed] 2007-10-03
Java SE 6 Update 4[citation needed] 2008-01-14 HotSpot VM 10
Java SE 6 Update 5[citation needed] 2008-03-05 Several security flaws were eliminated. New root certificates from AOL, DigiCert, and TrustCenter are now included.
Java SE 6 Update 6[citation needed] 2008-04-16 A workaround for the infamous Xlib/XCB locking assertion issue was introduced. A memory leak when using Kerberos authentication with LoginContext was fixed. Several other bugs were fixed.
Java SE 6 Update 7[citation needed] Unofficially, Java SE 6 Update 7 (1.6.0.7) is the last version of Java that was shown to be working on the Win9x family of operating systems[citation needed]
Java SE 6 Update 10[citation needed] 2008-10-15 HotSpot VM 11. Major changes for this update include:
  • Java Deployment Toolkit, a set of JavaScript functions to ease the deployment of applets and Java Web Start applications.[53]
  • Java Kernel, a small installer including only the most commonly used JRE classes. Other packages are downloaded when needed.
  • Enhanced updater.
  • Enhanced versioning and pack200 support: server-side support is no longer required.[53]
  • Java Quick Starter, to improve cold start-up time.
  • Improved performance of Java2D graphics primitives on Windows, using Direct3D and hardware acceleration.
  • A new Swing look and feel called Nimbus and based on synth.[54]
  • Next-Generation Java Plug-In: applets now run in a separate process and support many features of Web Start applications.[53]
Java SE 6 Update 11[55] [citation needed] 2008-12-03 13 security fixes[citation needed]
Java SE 6 Update 12[citation needed] 2008-12-12 No security fixes; 64-bit Java plug-in (for 64-bit web browsers only); Windows Server 2008 support; performance improvements of graphics and JavaFX applications
Java SE 6 Update 13[citation needed] 2009-03-24 7 security fixes, JNDI store and retrieve Java objects in LDAP slightly modified, JMX Change (createMBeanunregisterMBean), 4 new root certificates added
Java SE 6 Update 14[citation needed] 2009-05-28 HotSpot VM 14. This release includes extensive performance updates to the JIT compiler, compressed pointers for 64-bit machines, as well as experimental support for the Garbage-First (G1) a low-pause Garbage Collector.[56][57]

The -XX:+DoEscapeAnalysis option directs the HotSpot JIT compiler to use escape analysis to determine whether local objects can be allocated on the stack instead of the heap.[citation needed]

Some developers have noticed an issue introduced in this release which causes debuggers to miss breakpoints seemingly randomly.[58] Sun has a corresponding bug, which is tracking the issue. The workaround applies to the Client and Server VMs.[59] Using the -XX:+UseParallelGC option will prevent the failure. Another workaround is to roll back to update 13, or to upgrade to update 16.

Java SE 6 Update 15[citation needed] 2009-08-04 Introduced patch-in-place functionality
Java SE 6 Update 16[citation needed] 2009-08-11 Fixed the issue introduced in update 14 which caused debuggers to miss breakpoints
Java SE 6 Update 17[citation needed] 2009-11-04 Security fixes; two new root certificates
Java SE 6 Update 18[citation needed] 2010-01-13 No security fixes; Hotspot VM 16; support for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition, SLES 11, Windows 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3, Firefox 3.6, VisualVM 1.2; updated Java DB; many performance improvements
Java SE 6 Update 19[citation needed] 2010-03-30 Security fixes; root certificate changes: seven new, three removed, five replaced with stronger signature algorithms; interim fix for TLS renegotiation attack
Java SE 6 Update 20[citation needed] 2010-04-15 2 security fixes
Java SE 6 Update 21[citation needed] 2010-07-07 No security fixes; Hotspot VM 17; support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 and 5.5, Oracle Enterprise Linux 4.8, 5.4, 5.5; Google Chrome 4 support; support for Customized Loading Progress Indicators; VisualVM 1.2.2
Java SE 6 Update 22[citation needed] 2010-10-12 29 security fixes; RFC 5746 support
Java SE 6 Update 23[citation needed] 2010-12-08 No security fixes; Hotspot VM 19; better support for right-to-left languages
Java SE 6 Update 24[citation needed] 2011-02-15 21 security fixes; updated Java DB
Java SE 6 Update 25[citation needed] 2011-03-21 No security fixes; Hotspot VM 20; support for Internet Explorer 9, Firefox 4 and Chrome 10; improved BigDecimal; includes "tiered" compilation in the Server VM that enables it to start quickly as does the Client VM, while achieving better peak performance (this feature is enabled by specifying -server and -XX:+TieredCompilation command options)
Java SE 6 Update 26[citation needed] 2011-06-07 17 new security fixes;[60] last version compatible with Windows Vista SP1
Java SE 6 Update 27[citation needed] 2011-08-16 No security fixes; certification for Firefox 5
Java SE 6 Update 29[citation needed] 2011-10-18 20 security fixes, various bug fixes[61]
Java SE 6 Update 30[citation needed] 2011-12-12 No security fixes; fix for SSL regression in Update 29; support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Java SE 6 Update 31[citation needed] 2012-02-14 14 security fixes and one bug fix; last version work reliably for Windows 2000[62]
Java SE 6 Update 32[citation needed] 2012-04-26 No security fixes, various bug fixes
Java SE 6 Update 33[citation needed] 2012-06-12 14 security fixes, improved VM configuration file loading
Java SE 6 Update 34[citation needed] 2012-08-14 No security fixes, various bug fixes
Java SE 6 Update 35[citation needed] 2012-08-30 Contains a security-in-depth fix[63]
Java SE 6 Update 37[citation needed] 2012-10-16 30 security fixes
Java SE 6 Update 38[citation needed] 2012-12-11 Various bug fixes[citation needed]
Java SE 6 Update 39[citation needed] 2013-02-01 50 security fixes
Java SE 6 Update 41[citation needed] 2013-02-19 5 security fixes
Java SE 6 Update 43[citation needed] 2013-03-04 2 security fixes
Java SE 6 Update 45[citation needed] 2013-04-16 42 security fixes;[64] other changes; final public update.[65]
Java SE 6 Update 51 2013-06-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Apple Update for OS X Snow Leopard, Lion & Mountain Lion; up to 40 security fixes[66]
Java SE 6 Update 65 2013-10-15 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Apple Update for OS X Snow Leopard, Lion & Mountain Lion; at least 11 critical security fixes[67]
Java SE 6 Update 71 2014-01-14 Not available for public download; 33 fixes[citation needed]
Java SE 6 Update 75 2014-04-15 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster no. #54; 25 security fixes[68]
Java SE 6 Update 81 2014-07-15 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 11 security fixes[69]
Java SE 6 Update 85 2014-10-16 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 18 security fixes[70]
Java SE 6 Update 91 2015-01-21 Linux x64 and Windows i586 versions are available as the Java SE 6 Reference Implementation.[71] Other versions are only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 15 security fixes[72]
Java SE 6 Update 95 2015-04-14 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 14 security fixes[73]
Java SE 6 Update 101 2015-07-15 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 18 security fixes[74] Certification for IE 10 and 11 was introduced in 1.6.0_101
Java SE 6 Update 105 2015-10-20 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 17 security fixes[75]
Java SE 6 Update 111 2016-01-20 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 13 security fixes[76]
Java SE 6 Update 113 2016-02-05 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 1 security fix[77]
Java SE 6 Update 115 2016-04-21 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 8 security fixes[78]
Java SE 6 Update 121 2016-07-19 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 15 security fixes[79]
Java SE 6 Update 131 2016-10-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 13 security fixes[80]
Java SE 6 Update 141 2017-01-17 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 17 security fixes[81]
Java SE 6 Update 151 2017-04-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 10 security fixes[82]
Java SE 6 Update 161 2017-07-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 5 security fixes[83]
Java SE 6 Update 171 2017-10-20 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 7 security fixes[84]
Java SE 6 Update 181 2018-01-16 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 12 security fixes[85]
Java SE 6 Update 191 2018-04-17 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 7 security fixes[86]
Java SE 6 Update 201 2018-07-17 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 3 security fixes[87]
Java SE 6 Update 211 2018-10-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 8 security fixes[88]

Java SE 7

[edit]
Java SE 7
CodenameDolphin[89]
Released28 July 2011
(14 years ago)
 (2011-07-28)
Support ended
PublicApril 2015 (2015-04)
PaidJune 2022 (2022-06)

Java 7 was a major update that launched on July 7, 2011[90] and was made available for developers on July 28, 2011.[91] The development period was organized into thirteen milestones; on June 6, 2011, the last of the thirteen milestones was finished.[91][92] On average, 8 builds (which generally included enhancements and bug fixes) were released per milestone. The feature list at the OpenJDK 7 project lists many of the changes.

Additions in Java 7 include:[93]

  • Strings in switch[98]
  • Automatic resource management in try-statement aka try-with-resources statement[99]
  • Improved type inference for generic instance creation, aka the diamond operator <>[100]
  • Simplified varargs method declaration[101]
  • Binary integer literals[102]
  • Allowing underscores in numeric literals[103]
  • Catching multiple exception types and rethrowing exceptions with improved type checking[104]
  • Concurrency utilities under JSR 166[105]
  • New file I/O library (defined by JSR 203) adding support for multiple file systems, file metadata and symbolic links. The new packages are java.nio.file, java.nio.file.attribute and java.nio.file.spi[106][107]
  • Timsort is used to sort collections and arrays of objects instead of merge sort
  • Library-level support for elliptic curve cryptography algorithms
  • An XRender pipeline for Java 2D, which improves handling of features specific to modern GPUs
  • New platform APIs for the graphics features originally implemented in version 6u10 as unsupported APIs[108]
  • Enhanced library-level support for new network protocols, including SCTP and Sockets Direct Protocol
  • Upstream updates to XML and Unicode
  • Java deployment rule sets[109]

Lambda (Java's implementation of lambda functions), Jigsaw (Java's implementation of modules), and part of Coin were dropped from Java 7, and released as part of Java 8 (except for Jigsaw, which was released in Java 9).[110][111]

Java 7 was the default version to download on java.com from April 2012 until Java 8 was released.[112]

Java 7 updates

[edit]

Oracle issued public updates to the Java 7 family on a quarterly basis[113] until April 2015 when the product reached the end of its public availability.[114] Further updates for JDK 7, which continued until July 2022, are only made available to customers with a support contract.[115]

Table of Java 7 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 7[116] 2011-07-28 Initial release; HotSpot VM 21
Java SE 7 Update 1[citation needed] 2011-10-18 20 security fixes, other bug fixes
Java SE 7 Update 2[citation needed] 2011-12-12 No security fixes; HotSpot VM 22; reliability and performance improvements; support for Solaris 11 and Firefox 5 and later; JavaFX included with Java SE JDK, improvements for web-deployed applications
Java SE 7 Update 3[citation needed] 2012-02-14 14 security fixes[117]
Java SE 7 Update 4[citation needed] 2012-04-26 No security updates; HotSpot VM 23; JDK Support for Mac OS X; New Supported Garbage Collector: Garbage-First (G1)
Java SE 7 Update 5[citation needed] 2012-06-12 14 security fixes[118]
Java SE 7 Update 6[citation needed] 2012-08-14 JavaFX and Java Access Bridge included in Java SE JDK and JRE installation, JavaFX support for touch-enabled monitors and touch pads, JavaFX support for Linux, JDK and JRE Support for Mac OS X, JDK for Linux on ARM[119]
Java SE 7 Update 7[citation needed] 2012-08-30 4 security fixes[63]
Java SE 7 Update 9[citation needed] 2012-10-16 30 security vulnerabilities fixes[120]
Java SE 7 Update 10[citation needed] 2012-12-11 New security features, such as the ability to disable any Java application from running in the browser and new dialogs to warn you when the JRE is insecure, and bug fixes
Java SE 7 Update 11[citation needed] 2013-01-13 Olson Data 2012i; bugfix for problems with registration of plugin on systems with Stand-alone version of JavaFX Installed, security fixes for CVE-2013-0422;[121] the default security level for Java applets and web start applications has been increased from "Medium" to "High"
Java SE 7 Update 13[122] [citation needed] 2013-02-01 50 security fixes
Java SE 7 Update 15[citation needed] 2013-02-19 5 security fixes
Java SE 7 Update 17[citation needed] 2013-03-04 2 security fixes
Java SE 7 Update 21[citation needed] 2013-04-16 Multiple changes including 42 security fixes, a new Server JRE that does not include the plug-in, and the JDK for Linux on ARM
Java SE 7 Update 25[citation needed] 2013-06-18 Multiple changes including 40 security fixes[66][123]
Java SE 7 Update 40[citation needed] 2013-09-10 621 bug fixes,[124] New security features, hardfloat ARM, Java Mission Control 5.2 and Retina Display support[125]
Java SE 7 Update 45[citation needed] 2013-10-15 51 security fixes;[67] protections against unauthorized redistribution of Java applications; restore security prompts; JAXP changes; TimeZone.setDefault change
Java SE 7 Update 51[citation needed] 2014-01-14 36 security fixes; block JAVA applets without manifest (like Remote console—Java Applet—IBM IMM card, HP iLO card) even if warning dialog is with sentence "will be blocked in next version",[126][127] 17 bug fixes
Java SE 7 Update 55[citation needed] 2014-04-15 37 security fixes,[68] 19 bug fixes[128]
Java SE 7 Update 60[citation needed] 2014-05-28 Java Mission Control 5.3,[129] 130 bug fixes[130]
Java SE 7 Update 65[citation needed] 2014-07-15 18 bug fixes[citation needed]
Java SE 7 Update 67[citation needed] 2014-08-04 1 bug fix
Java SE 7 Update 71[citation needed] 2014-10-14 16 bug fixes[citation needed]
Java SE 7 Update 72[citation needed] 2014-10-14 Same release date with Update 71 as a corresponding Patch Set Update (PSU) for Java SE 7,[131] 36 bug fixes[citation needed]
Java SE 7 Update 75[citation needed] 2015-01-20 12 bug fixes,[citation needed] SSLv3 disabled by default
Java SE 7 Update 76[citation needed] 2015-01-20 Same release date with Update 75 as a corresponding Patch Set Update (PSU) for Java SE 7,[131] 97 bug fixes[citation needed]
Java SE 7 Update 79[citation needed] 2015-04-14 21 security fixes, 6 bug fixes,[citation needed]
Java SE 7 Update 80[citation needed] 2015-04-14 Last public release of Java 7; same release date with Update 79 as a corresponding Patch Set Update (PSU) for Java SE 7, 104 bug fixes[citation needed]
Java SE 7 Update 85 2015-07-15 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 25 security fixes[132]
Java SE 7 Update 91 2015-10-20 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 20 security fixes[133]
Java SE 7 Update 95 2016-01-19 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 8 security fixes[134]
Java SE 7 Update 97 2016-02-05 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 1 security fix[77]
Java SE 7 Update 99 2016-03-23 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 1 security fix[135]
Java SE 7 Update 101 2016-04-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 22 security fixes[136]
Java SE 7 Update 111 2016-07-19 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 36 security fixes[79]
Java SE 7 Update 121 2016-10-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 32 security fixes[80]
Java SE 7 Update 131 2017-01-17 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 34 security fixes[81]
Java SE 7 Update 141 2017-04-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 8 security fixes[137]
Java SE 7 Update 151 2017-07-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 4 security fixes[83]
Java SE 7 Update 161 2017-10-20 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 4 security fixes[84]
Java SE 7 Update 171 2018-01-16 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 51 security fixes[85]
Java SE 7 Update 181 2018-04-17 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 12 security fixes[86]
Java SE 7 Update 191 2018-07-17 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 9 security fixes[87]
Java SE 7 Update 201 2018-10-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 13 security fixes[88]
Java SE 7 Update 211 2019-01-15 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 5 security fixes[138]
Java SE 7 Update 221 2019-04-16 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 5 security fixes[139]
Java SE 7 Update 231 2019-07-16 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 6 security fixes[140]
Java SE 7 Update 241 2019-10-15 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 15 security fixes[141]
Java SE 7 Update 251 2020-01-14 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 12 security fixes[142]
Java SE 7 Update 261 2020-04-14 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 15 security fixes[143]
Java SE 7 Update 271 2020-07-14 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 11 security fixes[144]
Java SE 7 Update 281 2020-10-20 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 8 security fixes[145]
Java SE 7 Update 291 2021-01-19 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 1 security fixes[146]
Java SE 7 Update 301 2021-04-12 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 11 security fixes[147]
Java SE 7 Update 311 2021-07-20 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 24 bug fixes[148]
Java SE 7 Update 321 2021-10-19 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 16 bug fixes[149]
Java SE 7 Update 331 2022-01-18 Not available publicly, only available through the Java SE Support program and in Solaris 10's Recommended Patchset Cluster; 18 bug fixes[150]

Java SE 8 (LTS)

[edit]
Java SE 8
LTS version
CodenameSpider
Released18 March 2014
(11 years ago)
 (2014-03-18)
# of JEPs8

Java 8 was released on 18 March 2014,[151][152] and included some features that were planned for Java 7 but later deferred.[153]

Work on features was organized in terms of JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs).[154]

Java 8 is not supported on Windows XP[163] but as of JDK 8 update 25, it can still be installed and run under Windows XP.[164] Previous updates of JDK 8 could be run under XP by downloading archived zip format file and unzipping it for the executable. The last version of Java 8 could run on XP is update 251.

From October 2014, Java 8 was the default version to download (and then again the download replacing Java 9) from the official website.[165] "Oracle will continue to provide Public Updates and auto updates of Java SE 8, Indefinitely for Personal Users".[166]

Java 8 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 8 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 8 2014-03-18 Initial release
Java SE 8 Update 5[167] 2014-04-15 Using "*" in Caller-Allowable-Codebase attribute; 11 bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 11[168] 2014-07-15 Java Dependency Analysis Tool (jdeps); Java Control Panel option to disable sponsors; JAR file attribute – Entry-Point; JAXP processing limit property – maxElementDepth; 18 security bug fixes,[169] 15 bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 20[170] 2014-08-19 669 bug fixes,[171] JMC 5.4, String deduplication (disabled by default)
Java SE 8 Update 25[172] 2014-10-14 10 bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 31[173] 2015-01-19 26 bug fixes; SSLv3 (disabled by default)
Java SE 8 Update 40[174] 2015-03-03 645 bug fixes,[175] Added the notion of "memory pressure" to help indicate how much of system's memory is still available (low pressure = high memory, high pressure = low memory)
Java SE 8 Update 45[176] 2015-04-14 13 bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 51[177] 2015-07-14 Added support for native sandbox on Windows platforms (disabled by default); also, 25 security fixes, 14 bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 60[178] 2015-08-18 480 bug fixes[179]
Java SE 8 Update 65[180] 2015-10-20 25 security fixes, 3 bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 66[181] 2015-11-16 15 bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 71[182] 2016-01-19 8 security fixes, 5 bug fixes[183]
Java SE 8 Update 72[184] 2016-01-19 8 security fixes, 5 bug fixes, several enhancements
Java SE 8 Update 73[185] 2016-02-03 1 security fix
Java SE 8 Update 74[186] 2016-02-03 1 security fix
Java SE 8 Update 77[187] 2016-03-23 1 security fix
Java SE 8 Update 91[188] 2016-04-19 9 security fixes, 4 bug fixes and enhancements
Java SE 8 Update 92[189] 2016-04-19 Security and bug fixes from 8u91, plus 76 additional bug fixes; the ExitOnOutOfMemoryError and CrashOnOutOfMemoryError flags have been introduced
Java SE 8 Update 101[190] 2016-07-19 Security and bug fixes from 8u92, plus 9 additional bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 102[191] 2016-07-19 Security and bug fixes from 8u101, plus 118 additional bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 111[192] 2016-10-18 7 Security fixes and 9 bug fixes
Java SE 8 Update 112[193] 2016-10-18 Additional features and 139 bug fixes over 8u111
Java SE 8 Update 121[194] 2017-01-17 3 additional features, 5 changes, and 11 bug fixes over 8u112.
Java SE 8 Update 131[195] 2017-04-18 4 changes and 42 bug fixes (2 notable).
Java SE 8 Update 141[196] 2017-07-18 Additional feature, 3 changes and 12 bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 144[197] 2017-07-26 32 Security fixes and bug fixes from 8u141.
Java SE 8 Update 151[198] 2017-10-17 22 Security fixes, 2 notes, 1 certificate revocation, 1 new feature, 6 changes and 24 bug fixes from 8u144.
Java SE 8 Update 152[199] 2017-10-17 Security fixes, 1 new feature, 1 change and 238 bug fixes from 8u151 (1 notable).
Java SE 8 Update 161[200] 2018-01-16 21 Security fixes, 3 new features, 9 changes and 1 bug fix from 8u152.
Java SE 8 Update 162[201] 2018-01-16 Security fixes, 63 bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 171[202] 2018-04-17 Security fixes, bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 172[203] 2018-04-17 Security fixes, bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 181[204] 2018-07-17 Security fixes, bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 191[205] 2018-10-16 New features, changes, bug fixes, security fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 192[206] 2018-10-16 New features, changes, bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 201[207] 2019-01-15 New features, changes, bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 202[208] 2019-01-15 New features, changes, bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 211[209] 2019-04-16 New features, changes, bug fixes. License Update.
Java SE 8 Update 212[210] 2019-04-16 New features (e.g. 5 currency symbols, including for Bitcoin and "New Japanese Era Name Reiwa"[210]), changes, bug fixes. License Update.
Java SE 8 Update 221[211] 2019-07-16 New features, changes, bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 231[212] 2019-10-15 New features, changes, bug fixes and 18 security fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 241[213] 2020-01-14 New features, changes, bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 251[214] 2020-04-14 New features, changes, bug fixes. The last version that was shown to be working on Windows XP unofficially.
Java SE 8 Update 261[215] 2020-07-14 New features, changes, 133 bug fixes.[216]
Java SE 8 Update 271[217] 2020-10-20 New features, changes, 65 bug fixes.[218]
Java SE 8 Update 281[219] 2021-01-19 New features, changes, 33 bug fixes.[220]
Java SE 8 Update 291[221] 2021-04-20 New features, changes, 28 bug fixes.[222]
Java SE 8 Update 301[223] 2021-07-20 New features, changes, 90 bug fixes.[224]
Java SE 8 Update 311[225] 2021-10-19 New features, changes, 52 bug fixes.[226]
Java SE 8 Update 321[227] 2022-01-18 New features, changes, 62 bug fixes.[228]
Java SE 8 Update 331[229] 2022-04-19 New features, changes, 37 bug fixes.[230]
Java SE 8 Update 333[231] 2022-05-02 Patch w/1 change and 2 bug fixes.[232]
Java SE 8 Update 341[233] 2022-07-19 New features, changes, 42 bug fixes.[234]
Java SE 8 Update 351[235] 2022-10-18 New features, changes, 95 bug fixes.[236]
Java SE 8 Update 361[237] 2023-01-17 New features, changes, bug fixes.
Java SE 8 Update 371[238] 2023-04-18
Java SE 8 Update 381[239] 2023-07-18 Security Patches
Java SE 8 Update 391[240] 2023-10-17
Java SE 8 Update 401[241] 2024-01-16
Java SE 8 Update 411[242] 2024-04-16 Update time zone data to IANA TZ Data 2024a, new features, changes, updates to third-party libraries, 37 bug fixes.[242]
Java SE 8 Update 421[243] 2024-07-16
Java SE 8 Update 431[244] 2024-10-15
Java SE 8 Update 441[245] 2025-01-21
Java SE 8 Update 451[246] 2025-04-15
Java SE 8 Update 461[247] 2025-07-15
Java SE 8 Update 471[248] 2025-10-21

Java SE 9

[edit]
Java SE 9
Released21 September 2017
(8 years ago)
 (2017-09-21)
# of JEPs9
Support ended
PublicMarch 2018 (2018-03)

Java SE 9 was made available on September 21, 2017[249] due to controversial acceptance of the current implementation of Project Jigsaw by Java Executive Committee[250] which led Oracle to fix some open issues and concerns and to refine some critical technical questions. In the last days of June 2017, Java Community Process expressed nearly unanimous consensus on the proposed Module System scheme.[251]

The first Java 9 release candidate was released on August 9, 2017.[257] The first stable release of Java 9 was on September 21, 2017.[258]

History

[edit]

At JavaOne 2011, Oracle discussed features they hoped to release for Java 9 in 2016.[259] Java 9 should include better support for multi-gigabyte heaps, better native code integration, a different default garbage collector (G1, for "shorter response times")[260] and a self-tuning JVM.[261] In early 2016, the release of Java 9 was rescheduled for March 2017[262] and later again postponed four more months to July 2017.[263]

Java 9 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 9 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 9[264] 2017-09-21 Initial release
Java SE 9.0.1[265] 2017-10-17 New features
  • Add Additional IDL Stub Type Checks to org.omg.CORBA.ORB::string_to_object Method (other-libs/corba)

Known issues

  • TLS does not work by default on OpenJDK 9 (security-libs/java.security)

Changes

  • Remove revoked Swisscom root certificate "swisscomrootevca2" (security-libs/java.security)
  • Refactor existing providers to refer to the same constants for default values for key length (security-libs/java.security)
  • Collections use serialization filter to limit array sizes (security-libs/java.security)
  • Add warnings to keytool when using JKS and JCEKS (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Default timeouts have changed for FTP URL handler (core-libs/java.net)

Bug fixes

Java SE 9.0.4[267] 2018-01-16 New features
  • Open source the root certificates in Oracle's Java SE Root CA program (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Added TLS session hash and extended master secret extension support (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Negotiated Finite Field Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral Parameters for TLS (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Add additional IDL stub type checks to org.omg.CORBA.ORBstring_to_object method (other-libs/corba)

Changes

  • RSA public key validation (security-libs/javax.crypto)
  • Provider default key size is updated (security-libs/javax.crypto)
  • Stricter key generation (security-libs/javax.crypto)
  • Disable exportable cipher suites (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • JMX Connections need deserialization filters (core-svc/javax.management)
  • JDK Transform, Validation and XPath use the system-default parser (xml/jaxp)

Bug fixes

  • JNLP files won't launch from IE11 on Windows 10 Creators Update (deploy/webstart)
  • 11 bug fixes[268]

Java SE 10

[edit]
Java SE 10
Released20 March 2018
(7 years ago)
 (2018-03-20)
# of JEPs12
Support ended
PublicSeptember 2018 (2018-09)

OpenJDK 10 was released on March 20, 2018, with twelve new features confirmed.[269] Among these features were:

The first of these JEP 286 Local-Variable Type Inference, allows the var keyword to be used for local variables with the actual type calculated by the compiler. Due to this change, developers can do the following instead of manually specifying the variable's type:

var list = new ArrayList<String>(); // infers ArrayList<String>
var stream = list.stream();         // infers Stream<String>

Java 10 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 10 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 10[270] 2018-03-20 Initial release
Java SE 10.0.1[271] 2018-04-17 New features
  • Enhanced KeyStore Mechanisms (security-libs/javax.crypto)

Changes

  • XML Signatures Signed with EC Keys Less Than 224 Bits Disabled (security-libs/javax.xml.crypto)
  • 3DES Cipher Suites Disabled (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Other notes

  • CipherOutputStream Usage (security-libs/javax.crypto)

Bug fixes

Java SE 10.0.2[273] 2018-07-17 Changes
  • filterArguments runs multiple filters in the wrong order (core-libs/java.lang.invoke)
  • Improve LDAP support (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • Better stack walking (core-libs/java.io:serialization)

Bug fixes

  • JVM Crash during G1 GC (hotspot/gc)
  • 7 bug fixes[274]

Java SE 11 (LTS)

[edit]
Java SE 11
LTS version
Released25 September 2018
(7 years ago)
 (2018-09-25)
# of JEPs17
Removal(s)
NotableJava applets, Java Web Start, JavaFX, JavaEE, and CORBA modules

JDK 11 was released on September 25, 2018 and the version is currently open for bug fixes. It offers LTS, or Long-Term Support. Among others, Java 11 includes a number of new features, such as:[275]

A number of features from previous releases were dropped; in particular, Java applets and Java Web Start are no longer available. JavaFX, Java EE and CORBA modules have been removed from JDK.[276]

Java 11 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 11 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 11[277] 2018-09-25 Initial release
Java SE 11.0.1[278] 2018-10-16 Changes
  • Added Additional TeliaSonera Root Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Improve LDAP support (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • Changed Central File System Location for usagetracker.properties File (core-svc)
  • Problem looking up Client Certificates in keystore (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Disabled All DES TLS Cipher Suites (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Improved Cipher Inputs (security-libs/javax.crypto)

Bug fixes

  • LDAPS Communication Failure (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • Better HTTP Redirection Support (core-libs/java.net)
  • 5 bug fixes[279]
Java SE 11.0.2[280] 2019-01-15 Known issues
  • GTK+ 3.20 and Later Unsupported by Swing (client-libs)

Changes

  • TLS anon and NULL Cipher Suites are Disabled (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Linux Native Code Checks (hotspot/runtime)
  • Enable Java Access Bridge Check Box Option in Control Panel Is Not Available with JDK 11 Installer (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.3[282] 2019-04-16 New features
  • Square Character Support for Japanese New Era (core-libs/java.util:i18n)

Known issues

  • Java Access Bridge Installation Workaround (install)

Changes

  • Added GlobalSign R6 Root Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Distrust TLS Server Certificates Anchored by Symantec Root CAs (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • New Japanese Era Name Reiwa (core-libs/java.time)
  • Support New Japanese Era in java.time.chrono.JapaneseEra (core-libs/java.time)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.4[284] 2019-07-16 New features
  • HotSpot Windows OS Detection Correctly Identifies Windows Server 2019 (hotspot/runtime)

Removed features and options

  • Removal of Two DocuSign Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Removal of Two Comodo Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Removal of T-Systems Deutsche Telekom Root CA 2 Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Removal of GTE CyberTrust Global Root (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • com.sun.org.apache.xml.internal.security.ignoreLineBreaks System Property (security-libs/javax.xml.crypto)
  • System Property to Switch Between Implementations of ECC (security-libs/javax.crypto)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.5[286] 2019-10-15 New features
  • New Java Flight Recorder (JFR) Security Events (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Using the JDK or JRE on macOS Catalina (10.15) (docs)
  • Remove Obsolete NIST EC Curves from the Default TLS Algorithms (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Use SunJCE Mac in SecretKeyFactory PBKDF2 Implementation (security-libs/javax.crypto)
  • Java Access Bridge Installation Workaround (install)
  • Updated XML Signature Implementation to Apache Santuario 2.1.3 (security-libs/javax.xml.crypto)
  • System Property jdk.security.useLegacyECC is Turned Off by Default (security-libs/javax.crypto)
  • Changed Properties.loadFromXML to Comply with Specification (core-libs/java.util)
  • Runtime.exec and ProcessBuilder Argument Restrictions (core-libs/java.lang)
  • Windows 2019 Core Server Is Not Supported (client-libs/2d)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.6[288] 2020-01-14 New features
  • Allow SASL Mechanisms to Be Restricted (security-libs/javax.security)
  • SunPKCS11 Provider Upgraded with Support for PKCS#11 v2.40 (security-libs/javax.crypto:pkcs11)

Other notes

  • Improve Registry Support (core-libs/java.rmi)
  • New Checks on Trust Anchor Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Exact Match Required for Trusted TLS Server Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added LuxTrust Global Root 2 Certificate (install/security-libs/java.security)
  • Added 4 Amazon Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Turn off AOT by Default and Change Related Flags to Experimental (hotspot/compiler)
  • Epsilon GC handled checked array stores incorrectly (hotspot/gc)

Bug fixes

  • Memory Growth Issue in SunPKCS11 Fixed (security-libs/javax.crypto:pkcs11)
  • Better Serial Filter Handling (core-libs/java.io:serialization)
  • 123 bug fixes[289]
Java SE 11.0.7[290] 2020-04-14 New features
  • Support for MS Cryptography Next Generation (CNG) (security-libs/javax.crypto)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.8[292] 2020-07-14 New features
  • New System Properties to Configure the TLS Signature Schemes (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Apache Santuario Library Updated to Version 2.1.4 (security-libs/javax.xml.crypto)
  • Toolchain Upgrade to Xcode 10.1 (infrastructure)
  • Oracle JDK Installer for Windows Provides Executables (javac, etc) in a Path Reachable From Any Command Prompt (install/install)

Removed features and options

  • Removal of Comodo Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Removal of DocuSign Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Improved Serialization Handling (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Better Listing of Arrays (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Default SSLEngine Should Create in Server Role (security-libs/javax.net.sslc)
  • OperatingSystemMXBean Methods Inside a Container Return Container Specific Data (core-svc/java.lang.management)
  • Default SSL Session Cache Size Updated to 20480 (security-libs)
  • Deprecated NSWindowStyleMaskTexturedBackground (client-libs/javax.swing)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.9[294] 2020-10-20 New features
  • Weak Named Curves in TLS, CertPath, and Signed JAR Disabled by Default (security-libs/java.security)
  • Support for Kerberos Cross-Realm Referrals (RFC 6806) (security-libs/org.ietf.jgss:krb5)
  • Improve Certificate Chain Handling (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Tools Warn If Weak Algorithms Are Used (security-libs/java.security)
  • Support for canonicalize in krb5.conf (security-libs/org.ietf.jgss:krb5)

Other notes

  • Added Property to Control LDAP Authentication Mechanisms Allowed to Authenticate Over Clear Connections (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • Added 3 SSL Corporation Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Entrust Root Certification Authority – G4 certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Localized Time Zone Name Inconsistency Between English and Other Locales (core-libs/java.util:i18n)
  • Enhanced Support of Proxy Class (core-libs/java.io:serialization)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.10[296] 2021-01-19 New features
  • -groupname Option Added to keytool Key Pair Generation (security-libs/java.security)
  • Support for certificate_authorities Extension (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • POSIX_SPAWN Option on Linux (core-libs/java.lang)
  • Support for X25519 and X448 in TLS (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • jarsigner Preserves POSIX File Permission and symlink Attributes (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Oracle JDK11u for Solaris Now Requires harfbuzz to be Installed (client-libs/2d)
  • JDK time-zone data upgraded to tzdata2020d (core-libs/java.time)
  • JDK time-zone data upgraded to tzdata2020c (core-libs/java.time)
  • US/Pacific-New Zone Name Removed as Part of tzdata2020b (core-libs/java.time)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.11[298] 2021-04-20 New features
  • jdeps --print-module-deps Reports Transitive Dependences (tools)

Other notes

  • New System and Security Properties to Control Reconstruction of Remote Objects by JDK's Built-in JNDI RMI and LDAP Implementations (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • Added 2 HARICA Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Disable TLS 1.0 and 1.1 (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Modified the MS950 charset Encoder's Conversion Table (core-libs/java.nio.charsets)
  • Less Ambiguous Processing of ProcessBuilder Quotes on Windows > (core-libs/java.lang)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.12[300] 2021-07-20 New features
  • Support cross-realm MSSFU (security-libs/org.ietf.jgss:krb5)
  • Customizing PKCS12 keystore Generation (security-libs/java.security)

Removed features and options

  • Removed Root Certificates with 1024-bit Keys (security-libs/java.security)
  • Removed Telia Company's Sonera Class2 CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Updated List of Capabilities Provided by JDK RPMs (install/install)
  • ADDLOCAL=ToolsFeature,SourceFeature Argument No Longer Needed For Windows JDK Installer (install/install)
  • Upgraded the Default PKCS12 Encryption and MAC Algorithms (security-libs/java.security)
  • Disable SHA-1 JARs (security-libs/java.security)
  • Improve Encoding of TLS Application-Layer Protocol Negotiation (ALPN) Values (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • URL FTP Protocol Handler: IPv4 Address Validation in Passive Mode (core-libs/java.net)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.13[302] 2021-10-19 New features
  • Context-specific Deserialization Filters (core-libs/java.io:serialization)

Removed features and options

  • Removed IdenTrust Root Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Remove the Experimental AOT and JIT Compiler in OracleJDK 11u (hotspot/compiler)

Other notes

  • Release Doesn't Correctly Recognize Windows 11 (core-libs/java.lang)
  • Change to Package Names in Linux RPM/DEB Installers (install)
  • Updated the Default Enabled Cipher Suites Preference (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • System Property to Control Reconstruction of Reference Address Objects by JDK's Built-in JNDI LDAP Implementation (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • Release Doesn't Correctly Recognize Windows Server 2022 (hotspot/runtime)
  • Updated keytool to Create AKID From SKID of Issuing Certificate as Specified by RFC 5280 (security-libs/java.security)
  • SunPKCS11 Initialization With NSS When External FIPS Modules Are in Security Modules Database (security-libs/javax.crypto:pkcs11)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.14[304] 2022-01-18 New features
  • New SunPKCS11 Configuration Properties (security-libs/javax.crypto:pkcs11)
  • Configurable Extensions With System Properties (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Removed features and options

  • Removed Google's GlobalSign Root Certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Zip File System Provider Throws ZipException When Entry Name Element Contains "." or ".." (core-libs/java.nio)
  • Update Timezone Data to 2021c (core-libs/java.time)
  • LDAP Channel Binding Support for Java GSS/Kerberos (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • SocketExceptions Are Not Wrapped Into SSLExceptions in SSLSocketImpl (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • OperatingSystemMXBean.getProcessCpuLoad Is Now Container Aware (hotspot/runtime)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.15[306] 2022-04-19 New features
  • SunPKCS11 Provider Supports ChaCha20-Poly1305 Cipher and ChaCha20 KeyGenerator if Supported by PKCS11 Library (security-libs/javax.crypto:pkcs11)
  • ChaCha20 and Poly1305 TLS Cipher Suites (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • New XML Processing Limits (xml/jaxp)

Other notes

  • Only Expose Certificates With Proper Trust Settings as Trusted Certificate Entries in macOS KeychainStore (security-libs/java.security)
  • Parsing of URL Strings in Built-in JNDI Providers Is More Strict (core-libs/javax.naming)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.16[308] 2022-07-19 New features
  • HTTPS Channel Binding Support for Java GSS/Kerberos (core-libs/java.net)

Other notes

  • Update java.net.InetAddress to Detect Ambiguous IPv4 Address Literals (core-libs/java.net)
  • JDK Bundle Extensions Truncated When Downloading Using Firefox 102 (core-libs/java.io:serialization)
  • Vector Should Throw ClassNotFoundException for a Missing Class of an Element (core-libs/java.io:serialization)
  • Default JDK Compressor Will Be Closed when IOException Is Encountered (core-libs/java.util.jar)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.16.1[310] 2022-08-18 Changes
  • C2 Compilation Errors Unpredictably Crashes JVM (hotspot/compiler)
Java SE 11.0.17[311] 2022-10-18 New features
  • Upgrade the Default PKCS12 MAC Algorithm (security-libs/java.security)
  • JDK Flight Recorder Event for Deserialization (core-libs/java.io:serialization)

Other notes

  • Disabled SHA-1 Signed JARs (security-libs/java.security)
  • Deprecate 3DES and RC4 in Kerberos (security-libs/org.ietf.jgss:krb5)
  • Make HttpURLConnection Default Keep Alive Timeout Configurable (core-libs/java.net)
  • CPU Shares Ignored When Computing Active Processor Count (hotspot/runtime)
  • Update Timezone Data to 2022c (core-libs/java.time)
  • New System Property to Limit the Number of Open Connections to com.sun.net.httpserver.HttpServer (core-libs/java.net)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.18[313] 2023-01-17 New features
  • DTLS Resumption Uses HelloVerifyRequest Messages (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Support for RSASSA-PSS in OCSP Response (security-libs/java.security)

Known issues

  • Installation of Oracle Linux Specific x64 JDK RPMs Pulls in i686 Dependencies (install/install)

Other notes

  • FXML JavaScript Engine Disabled by Default (javafx/fxml)
  • Translated resource bundles for German (globalization)
  • RPM JDK Installer Changes (install/install)
  • Disable Side-by-Side Installations of Multiple JDK Updates in Windows JDK Installers (install/install)
  • All JDK Update Releases Are Installed Into the Same Directory on macOS (install/install)
  • Incorrect Handling of Quoted Arguments in ProcessBuilder (core-libs/java.lang)
  • New Implementation Note for LoginModule on Removing Null from a Principals or Credentials set (security-libs/javax.security)
  • Toolchain Upgrade to Visual Studio 2022 (infrastructure)
  • Change in SSLEngine.closeInbound() Behavior (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.19[315] 2023-04-18 New features
  • Added a Default Native GSS-API Library on Windows (security-libs/org.ietf.jgss)

Other notes

  • System Property to Handle HTML ObjectView Creation (client-libs/javax.swing)
  • Added Certigna(Dhimyotis) Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Removed SSLv2Hello and SSLv3 From Default Enabled TLS Protocols (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • File::listRoots Changed to Return All Available Drives on Windows (core-libs/java.io)
  • Crypto-J Exception for Diffie-Hellman and DSA AlgorithmParameters Requests (security-libs/java.security)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.20[317] 2023-07-18 New features
  • Allow Additional Characters for GB18030-2022 Support (core-libs/java.lang)
  • Support for GB18030-2022 (core-libs/java.nio.charsets)
  • Update the Javadoc in the Character Class to State Support for GB 18030-2022 Implementation Level 2 (core-libs/java.lang)
  • Windows KeyStore Updated to Include Access to the Local Machine Location (security-libs/java.security)
  • New JFR Event: jdk.InitialSecurityProperty (security-libs/java.security)
  • New JFR Event: jdk.SecurityProviderService (security-libs/java.security)
  • JDK Now Accepts RSA Keys in PKCS#1 Format (security-libs/javax.crypto)

Known issues

  • Problem Upgrading JDK on Windows if System User Is Using Shared Files (install)

Other notes

  • System Property to Turn off JDK-8251329 Restrictions (core-libs/java.nio)
  • Missing /usr/java/default Symlink on Linux Restored (install/install)
  • Installation of JDK RPM Corrupts Alternatives (install/install)
  • Added TWCA Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added 4 GTS Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Microsoft Corporation's 2 TLS Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • System Property for Java SE Specification Maintenance Version (core-libs/java.lang)
  • GregorianCalender.computeTime() JVM Crash (hotspot/compiler)
  • ASLR Support for CDS Archive (hotspot/runtime)
  • Throw Error If Default java.security File Fails to Load (security-libs/java.security)
  • New System Property to Control the Maximum Size of Signature Files (security-libs/java.security)
  • Improved ZIP64 Extra Field Validation (core-libs/java.util.jar)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.21[319] 2023-10-17 New features
  • -XshowSettings:locale Output Now Includes Tzdata Version (tools/launcher)

Removed features and options

  • Removed SECOM Trust System's RootCA1 Root Certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Added Certigna Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Debian JDK Installer Changes (install/install)
  • Ignore Allow and Disallow Options for java.security.manager System Property (security-libs/java.security)
  • The Default TLS Diffie-Hellman Group Size Has Been Increased from 1024-bit to 2048-bit (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Use Server Cipher Suites Preference by Default (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Bug fixes

Java SE 11.0.22[321] 2024-01-16 New features
  • New System Property to Toggle XML Signature Secure Validation Mode (security-libs/javax.xml.crypto)

Known issues

  • Potential Performance Regression Due to Limited Range Check Elimination (hotspot/compiler)

Other notes

  • Add Process-Memory Information to hs-err and VM.info (hotspot/runtime)
  • Increase Default Value of the System Property jdk.jar.maxSignatureFileSize (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Four Root Certificates from DigiCert, Inc. (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Three Root Certificates from eMudhra Technologies Limited (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Telia Root CA v2 Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added ISRG Root X2 CA Certificate from Let's Encrypt (security-libs/java.security)
  • Call X509KeyManager.chooseClientAlias Once for All Key Types (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Add Process-Memory Information to hs-err and VM.info (hotspot/runtime)

Bug fixes

Java SE 12

[edit]
Java SE 12
Released19 March 2019
(6 years ago)
 (2019-03-19)
# of JEPs8
Addition(s)
Preview(s)Enhanced switch statements
Support ended
PublicSeptember 2019 (2019-09)

JDK 12 was released on March 19, 2019. Among others, Java 12 includes a number of new features, such as:[323]

The preview feature JEP 325 extends the switch statement so it can also be used as an expression, and adds a new form of case label where the right hand side is an expression. No break statement is needed. For complex expressions a yield statement can be used. This becomes standard in Java SE 14.

int ndays = switch(month) {
    case JAN, MAR, MAY, JUL, AUG, OCT, DEC -> 31;
    case APR, JUN, SEP, NOV -> 30;
    case FEB -> {
        if (year % 400 == 0) yield 29;
        else if (year % 100 == 0) yield 28;
        else if (year % 4 == 0) yield 29;
        else yield 28; }
};

Java 12 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 12 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 12[324] 2019-03-19 Initial release
Java SE 12.0.1[325] 2019-04-16 Known issues
  • Java Access Bridge Installation Workaround (install)

Changes

  • Added GlobalSign R6 Root Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • New Japanese Era Name Reiwa (core-libs/java.time)

Bug fixes

Java SE 12.0.2[327] 2019-07-16 Removed features and options
  • Removal of Two DocuSign Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Removal of Two Comodo Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Removal of T-Systems Deutsche Telekom Root CA 2 Certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Java Access Bridge Installation Workaround (install)

Java SE 13

[edit]
Java SE 13
Released17 September 2019
(6 years ago)
 (2019-09-17)
# of JEPs5
Addition(s)
Preview(s)Enhanced switch statements, text blocks
Support ended
PublicMarch 2023 (2023-03)[328]

JDK 13 was released on September 17, 2019. Java 13 includes the following new features, as well as "hundreds of smaller enhancements and thousands of bug fixes".[329]

JEP 355 Text Blocks allows multiline string literals:

String html = """
              <html lang="en">
                  <body>
                      <p>Hello, world</p>
                  </body>
              </html>
              """;

Java 13 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 13 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 13[330] 2019-09-17 Initial release
Java SE 13.0.1[331] 2019-10-15 Other notes
  • Using the JDK or JRE on macOS Catalina (10.15) (docs)
  • Remove Obsolete NIST EC Curves from the Default TLS Algorithms (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Text Visibility Issues in macOS Dark Mode (client-libs)
  • Runtime.exec and ProcessBuilder Argument Restrictions (core-libs/java.lang)
Java SE 13.0.2[332] 2020-01-14 Other notes
  • New Checks on Trust Anchor Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Exact Match Required for Trusted TLS Server Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added LuxTrust Global Root 2 Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added 4 Amazon Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Improve Registry Support (core-libs/java.rmi)

Bug fixes

  • Better Serial Filter Handling (core-libs/java.io:serialization)
  • 29 bug fixes[333]

Java SE 14

[edit]
Java SE 14
Released17 March 2020
(5 years ago)
 (2020-03-17)
# of JEPs16
Addition(s)
NotableHelpful NullPointerExceptions, enhanced switch statements
Preview(s)Pattern matching for instanceof, records, text blocks
Incubatingjpackager, Foreign memory access
Removal(s)
NotableRemove Concurrent Mark Sweep garbage collector
Support ended
PublicSeptember 2020 (2020-09)

JDK 14 was released on March 17, 2020. Java 14 includes the following new features, as well as "hundreds of smaller enhancements and thousands of bug fixes".[334]

JEP 305, Pattern Matching for instanceof simplifies the common case of an instanceof test being immediately followed by cast, replacing

if (obj instanceof String) {
    String s = (String)obj;
    System.out.println(s.length());
}

with

if (obj instanceof String s) {
    System.out.println(s.length());
}

JEP 359 Records allows easy creation of simple immutable Tuple-like classes.[335]

record Point(int x, int y) { }
Point p = new Point(3, 4);
System.out.println(p.x());

Java 14 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 14 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 14[336] 2020-03-17 Initial release
Java SE 14.0.1[337] 2020-04-14 Bug fixes
Java SE 14.0.2[339] 2020-07-14 Removed features and options
  • Removal of Comodo Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Removal of DocuSign Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Better Listing of Arrays (core-libs/java.util:collections)
  • Default SSLEngine Should Create in Server Role (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Improved Serialization Handling (core-libs/java.io:serialization)

Bug fixes

Java SE 15

[edit]
Java SE 15
Released15 September 2020
(5 years ago)
 (2020-09-15)
# of JEPs14
Addition(s)
NotableHidden classes, ZGC (garbage collector), Shenandoah (garbage collector), text blocks
Preview(s)Sealed classes, pattern matching of instanceof, records
IncubatingForeign-memory access
Removal(s)
NotableJavaScript engine, Solaris and SPARC ports
Support ended
PublicMarch 2023 (2023-03)[328]

JDK 15 was released on September 15, 2020. Java 15 adds e.g. support for multi-line string literals (aka Text Blocks). The Shenandoah and Z garbage collectors (latter sometimes abbreviated ZGC) are now ready for use in production (i.e. no longer marked experimental). Support for Oracle's Solaris operating system (and SPARC CPUs) is dropped (while still available in e.g. Java 11). The Nashorn JavaScript Engine is removed. Also removed some root CA certificates.

JEP 360 Sealed Classes adds sealed classes and interfaces that restrict which other classes or interfaces may extend or implement them. Only those classes specified in a permits clause may extend the class or interface.

package com.example.geometry;

public abstract sealed class Shape
    permits Circle, Rectangle, Square {...}

Together with records, sealed classes are sum types. They work well with other recent features like records, switch expressions, and pattern matching for instance-of. They all form part of a system for "Pattern matching in Java" first discussed by Gavin Bierman and Brian Goetz, in September 2018.[341]

Java 15 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 15 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 15[342] 2020-09-15 Initial release
Java SE 15.0.1[343] 2020-10-20 New features
  • Improve Certificate Chain Handling (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Other notes

  • Added Property to Control LDAP Authentication Mechanisms Allowed to Authenticate Over Clear Connections (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • Added 3 SSL Corporation Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Entrust Root Certification Authority – G4 certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Enhanced Support of Proxy Class (core-libs/java.io:serialization)

Bug fixes

Java SE 15.0.2[345] 2021-01-19 Other notes
  • JDK time-zone data upgraded to tzdata2020d (core-libs/java.time)
  • JDK time-zone data upgraded to tzdata2020c (core-libs/java.time)
  • US/Pacific-New Zone Name Removed as Part of tzdata2020b (core-libs/java.time)

Bug fixes

Java SE 16

[edit]
Java SE 16
Released16 March 2021
(4 years ago)
 (2021-03-16)
# of JEPs17
Addition(s)
NotableWindows/AArch64 Port, jpackager, pattern matching for instanceof, records
Preview(s)Sealed classes
IncubatingForeign linker, Foreign-memory access
Support ended
PublicSeptember 2021 (2021-09)

JDK 16 was released on March 16, 2021. Java 16 removes Ahead-of-Time compilation (and Graal JIT) options.[347] The Java implementation itself was and is still written in C++, while as of Java 16, more recent C++14 (but still not e.g. C++17 or C++20) is allowed. The code was also moved to GitHub, dropping Mercurial as the source control system.

Java 16 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 16 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 16[348] 2021-03-16 Initial release
Java SE 16.0.1[349] 2021-04-20 Other notes
  • New System and Security Properties to Control Reconstruction of Remote Objects by JDK's Built-in JNDI RMI and LDAP Implementations (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • Added 2 HARICA Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Less Ambiguous Processing of ProcessBuilder Quotes on Windows (core-libs/java.lang)

Bug fixes

Java SE 16.0.2[351] 2021-07-20 Removed features and options
  • Removed Telia Company's Sonera Class2 CA certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Updated List of Capabilities Provided by JDK RPMs (install/install)
  • Change to Package Names in Linux RPM/DEB Installers (install/install)
  • URL FTP Protocol Handler: IPv4 Address Validation in Passive Mode (core-libs/java.net)
  • SocketExceptions Are Not Wrapped Into SSLExceptions in SSLSocketImpl (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Disable SHA-1 JARs (security-libs/java.security)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17 (LTS)

[edit]
Java SE 17
LTS version
Released14 September 2021
(4 years ago)
 (2021-09-14)
# of JEPs14
Addition(s)
NotablemacOS/AArch64 Port, sealed classes
Preview(s)Switch pattern matching
IncubatingVector API, Foreign function & memory API
Removal(s)
NotableAOT compiler, RMI activation, strictfp keyword made obsolete (JEP 306)

JDK 17 was released in September 2021.[353] Java 17 is the 2nd long-term support (LTS) release since switching to the new 6-month release cadence (the first being Java 11).

JEP 406 extends the pattern matching syntax used in instanceof operations to switch statements and expressions. It allows cases to be selected based on the type of the argument, null cases and refining patterns

Object o = ...;
return switch (o) {
        case null       -> "Null";
        case String s   -> "String %s".formatted(s);
        case Long l     -> "long %d".formatted(l);
        case Double d   -> "double %f".formatted(d);
        case Integer i && i > 0                            // refining patterns
                        -> "positive int %d".formatted(i);
        case Integer i && i == 0
                        -> "zero int %d".formatted(i);
        case Integer i && i < 0
                        -> "negative int %d".formatted(i);
        default         -> o.toString();
};

Java 17 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 17 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 17[354] 2021-09-14 Initial release
Java SE 17.0.1[355] 2021-10-19 Removed features and options
  • Removed IdenTrust Root Certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Release Doesn't Correctly Recognize Windows 11 (core-libs/java.lang)
  • System Property to Control Reconstruction of Reference Address Objects by JDK's Built-in JNDI LDAP Implementation (core-libs/javax.naming)
  • Release Doesn't Correctly Recognize Windows Server 2022 (hotspot/runtime)
  • OperatingSystemMXBean.getProcessCpuLoad Is Now Container Aware (hotspot/runtime)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.2[357] 2022-01-18 Removed features and options
  • Removed Google's GlobalSign Root Certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Extended Delay Before JDK Executable Installer Starts From Network Drive (install/install)
  • file.encoding System Property Has an Incorrect Value on Windows (core-libs/java.io)
  • Zip File System Provider Throws ZipException When Entry Name Element Contains "." or ".." (core-libs/java.nio)
  • Update Timezone Data to 2021c (core-libs/java.time)
  • ZGC: Fixed long Process Non-Strong References times (hotspot/gc)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.3[359] 2022-04-19 New features
  • New XML Processing Limits (xml/jaxp)

Other notes

  • Only Expose Certificates With Proper Trust Settings as Trusted Certificate Entries in macOS KeychainStore (security-libs/java.security)
  • Parsing of URL Strings in Built-in JNDI Providers Is More Strict (core-libs/javax.naming)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.3.1[361] 2022-05-02 Changes
  • New System Property to Disable Windows Alternate Data Stream Support in java.io.File (core-libs/java.io)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.4[363] 2022-07-19 New features
  • HTTPS Channel Binding Support for Java GSS/Kerberos (core-libs/java.net)

Other notes

  • Update java.net.InetAddress to Detect Ambiguous IPv4 Address Literals (core-libs/java.net)
  • Default JDK Compressor Will Be Closed when IOException Is Encountered (core-libs/java.util.jar)
  • CPU Shares Ignored When Computing Active Processor Count (hotspot/runtime)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.4.1[365] 2022-08-18 Changes
  • C2 Compilation Errors Unpredictably Crashes JVM (hotspot/compiler)
Java SE 17.0.5[366] 2022-10-18 New features
  • HTTPS Channel Binding Support for Java GSS/Kerberos (core-libs/java.net)

Other notes

  • Update java.net.InetAddress to Detect Ambiguous IPv4 Address Literals (core-libs/java.net)
  • Default JDK Compressor Will Be Closed when IOException Is Encountered (core-libs/java.util.jar)
  • CPU Shares Ignored When Computing Active Processor Count (hotspot/runtime)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.6[368] 2023-01-17 New features
  • DTLS Resumption Uses HelloVerifyRequest Messages (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)
  • Support for RSASSA-PSS in OCSP Response (security-libs/java.security)

Known issues

  • Installation of Oracle Linux Specific x64 JDK RPMs Pulls in i686 Dependencies (install/install)

Other notes

  • FXML JavaScript Engine Disabled by Default (javafx/fxml)
  • Translated resource bundles for German (globalization)
  • RPM JDK Installer Changes (install/install)
  • Disable Side-by-Side Installations of Multiple JDK Updates in Windows JDK Installers (install/install)
  • All JDK Update Releases Are Installed Into the Same Directory on macOS (install/install)
  • Incorrect Handling of Quoted Arguments in ProcessBuilder (core-libs/java.lang)
  • New Implementation Note for LoginModule on Removing Null from a Principals or Credentials set (security-libs/javax.security)
  • Toolchain Upgrade to Visual Studio 2022 (infrastructure)
  • Change in SSLEngine.closeInbound() Behavior (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.7[370] 2023-04-18 New features
  • New JFR Event: jdk.InitialSecurityProperty (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • System Property to Handle HTML ObjectView Creation (client-libs/javax.swing)
  • Added Certigna(Dhimyotis) CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • File::listRoots Changed to Return All Available Drives on Windows (core-libs/java.io)
  • Throw Error If Default java.security File Fails to Load (security-libs/java.security)
  • Crypto-J Exception for Diffie-Hellman and DSA AlgorithmParameters Requests (security-libs/java.security)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.8[372] 2023-07-18 New features
  • Support for GB18030-2022 (core-libs/java.nio.charsets)
  • Windows KeyStore Updated to Include Access to the Local Machine Location (security-libs/java.security)
  • New JFR Event: jdk.SecurityProviderService (security-libs/java.security)

Known issues

  • Problem Upgrading JDK on Windows if System User Is Using Shared Files (install)

Other notes

  • System Property to Turn off JDK-8251329 Restrictions (core-libs/java.nio)
  • Debian JDK Installer Changes (install/install)
  • Missing /usr/java/default Symlink on Linux Restored (install/install)
  • Installation of JDK RPM Corrupts Alternatives (install/install)
  • Added TWCA Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added 4 GTS Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Microsoft Corporation's 2 TLS Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • GregorianCalender.computeTime() JVM Crash (hotspot/compiler)
  • ASLR Support for CDS Archive (hotspot/runtime)
  • New System Property to Control the Maximum Size of Signature Files (security-libs/java.security)
  • Improved ZIP64 Extra Field Validation (core-libs/java.util.jar)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.9[374] 2023-10-17 New features
  • -XshowSettings:locale Output Now Includes Tzdata Version (tools/launcher)

Removed features and options

  • Removed SECOM Trust System's RootCA1 Root Certificate (security-libs/java.security)

Other notes

  • Added Certigna Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • The Default TLS Diffie-Hellman Group Size Has Been Increased from 1024-bit to 2048-bit (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.10[376] 2024-01-16 New features
  • New System Property to Toggle XML Signature Secure Validation Mode (security-libs/javax.xml.crypto)

Known issues

  • Potential Performance Regression Due to Limited Range Check Elimination (hotspot/compiler)

Other notes

  • Increase Default Value of the System Property jdk.jar.maxSignatureFileSize (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Four Root Certificates from DigiCert, Inc. (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Three Root Certificates from eMudhra Technologies Limited (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Telia Root CA v2 Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added ISRG Root X2 CA Certificate from Let's Encrypt (security-libs/java.security)
  • Call X509KeyManager.chooseClientAlias Once for All Key Types (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Bug fixes

Java SE 17.0.11[378] 2024-04-16
Java SE 17.0.12[379] 2024-07-16
Java SE 17.0.13[380] 2024-10-15
Java SE 17.0.14[381] 2025-01-21
Java SE 17.0.15[382] 2025-04-15

Java SE 18

[edit]
Java SE 18
Released22 March 2022
(3 years ago)
 (2022-03-22)
# of JEPs9
Addition(s)
Notable
  • UTF by default
  • Javadoc code snippets
Preview(s)Switch pattern matching
Incubating
  • Vector API
  • Foreign function & memory API
Removal(s)
NotableDeprecated finalization for removal
Support ended
PublicSeptember 2022 (2022-09)

JDK 18 was released on March 22, 2022.[383]

Java 18 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 18 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 18[384] 2022-03-22 Initial release
Java SE 18.0.1[385] 2022-04-19 New features
  • New XML Processing Limits (xml/jaxp)

Other notes

  • Only Expose Certificates With Proper Trust Settings as Trusted Certificate Entries in macOS KeychainStore (security-libs/java.security)
  • Parsing of URL Strings in Built-in JNDI Providers Is More Strict (core-libs/javax.naming)

Bug fixes

Java SE 18.0.1.1[387] 2022-05-02 core-libs/java.io
  • New System Property to Disable Windows Alternate Data Stream Support in java.io.File (core-libs/java.io)

Bug fixes

Java SE 18.0.2[389] 2022-07-19 Removed features and options
  • Remove the Alternate ThreadLocal Implementation of the Subject::current and Subject::callAs APIs (security-libs/javax.security)

Other notes

  • java.net.InetAddress Updated to Reject Ambiguous IPv4 Address Literals (core-libs/java.net)
  • CPU Shares Ignored When Computing Active Processor Count (hotspot/runtime)
  • Lambda Deserialization Fails for Object Method References on Interfaces (tools/javac)

Bug fixes

Java SE 18.0.2.1[391] 2022-08-18 Changes
  • C2 Compilation Errors Unpredictably Crashes JVM (hotspot/compiler)

Java SE 19

[edit]
Java SE 19
Released20 September 2022
(3 years ago)
 (2022-09-20)
# of JEPs7
Addition(s)
Preview(s)
  • Foreign function & memory API
  • Switch pattern matching
Incubating
  • Vector API
  • Structured concurrency
Support ended
PublicMarch 2023 (2023-03)

JDK 19 was released on 20 September 2022.[392]

JEP 405 allows record patterns, extending the pattern matching capabilities of instanceof operators, and switch expressions, to include record patterns that explicitly refer to the components of the record.

record Rectangle(int x, int y, int w, int h) {}

int area(Object o) {
    if (o instanceof Rectangle(int x, int y, int w, int h)) {
        return w * h;
    }
    return 0;
}

Such patterns can include nested patterns, where the components of records are themselves records, allowing patterns to match more object graphs.

Java 19 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 19 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 19[393] 2022-09-20 Initial release
Java SE 19.0.1[394] 2022-10-18 Other notes
  • Update Timezone Data to 2022c (core-libs/java.time)
  • New System Property to Limit the Number of Open Connections to com.sun.net.httpserver.HttpServer (core-libs/java.net)

Bug fixes

Java SE 19.0.2[396] 2023-01-17 New features
  • DTLS Resumption Uses HelloVerifyRequest Messages (security-libs/javax.net.ssl)

Other notes

  • FXML JavaScript Engine Disabled by Default (javafx/fxml)

Bug fixes

Java SE 20

[edit]
Java SE 20
Released21 March 2023
(2 years ago)
 (2023-03-21)
# of JEPs7
Addition(s)
IncubatingScoped values
Support ended
PublicSeptember 2023 (2023-09)

Java 20 was released on 21 March 2023.[398] All JEPs were either incubators or previews.

Java 20 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 20 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 20[399] 2023-03-21 Initial release
Java SE 20.0.1[400] 2023-04-18 Other notes
  • System Property to Handle HTML ObjectView Creation (client-libs/javax.swing)
  • Added Certigna(Dhimyotis) CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • File::listRoots Changed to Return All Available Drives on Windows (core-libs/java.io)

Bug fixes

Java SE 20.0.2[402] 2023-07-18 New features
  • Support for GB18030-2022 (core-libs/java.nio.charsets)

Known issues

  • Problem Upgrading JDK on Windows if System User Is Using Shared Files (install)

Other notes

  • Missing /usr/java/default Symlink on Linux Restored (install/install)
  • Installation of JDK RPM Corrupts Alternatives (install/install)
  • Added TWCA Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added 4 GTS Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Microsoft Corporation's 2 TLS Root CA Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • ASLR Support for CDS Archive (hotspot/runtime)
  • New System Property to Control the Maximum Size of Signature Files (security-libs/java.security)
  • Improved ZIP64 Extra Field Validation (core-libs/java.util.jar)

Bug fixes

Java SE 21 (LTS)

[edit]
Java SE 21
LTS version
Released19 September 2023
(2 years ago)
 (2023-09-19)
# of JEPs15
Addition(s)
NotableRecord patterns, pattern matching for switch, virtual threads
Preview(s)String templates, unnamed classes and main methods
IncubatingVector API

Java 21 was released on 19 September 2023.[404] The 32-bit version of Java for Windows on x86 was deprecated for removal with this release. The following JEPs were added, including eight JEPs that graduated from the incubating and preview stages, compared to Java 20 which only had previewing and incubating JEPs. Java 21 introduces features first previewed in Java 17 (pattern matching for switch statements) and Java 19 (record patterns). All JEPs added with Java 21 include the following:

  1. JEP 430: String Templates (Preview)
  2. JEP 431: Sequenced Collections
  3. JEP 439: Generational ZGC
  4. JEP 440: Record Patterns
  5. JEP 441: Pattern Matching for switch
  6. JEP 442: Foreign Function & Memory API (Third Preview)
  7. JEP 443: Unnamed Patterns and Variables (Preview)
  8. JEP 444: Virtual Threads
  9. JEP 445: Unnamed Classes and Instance Main Methods (Preview)
  10. JEP 446: Scoped Values (Preview)
  11. JEP 448: Vector API (Sixth Incubator)
  12. JEP 449: Deprecate the Windows 32-bit x86 Port for Removal
  13. JEP 451: Prepare to Disallow the Dynamic Loading of Agents
  14. JEP 452: Key Encapsulation Mechanism API
  15. JEP 453: Structured Concurrency (Preview)

JEP 445, previewing unnamed classes, allows for a barebones Main class without boilerplate code:

void main() {
    System.out.println("Hello, World!");
}

instead of :

public class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, World!");
    }
}

Java 21 updates

[edit]
Table of Java 21 updates
Release Release date Highlights
Java SE 21[405] 2023-09-19 Initial release
Java SE 21.0.1[406] 2023-10-17 Other notes
  • Added Certigna Root CA Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Increase Default Value of the System Property jdk.jar.maxSignatureFileSize (security-libs/java.security)

Bug fixes

Java SE 21.0.2[408] 2024-01-16 New features
  • TCP_KEEPxxxx Extended Socket Options Are Now Supported on the Windows Platform (core-libs/java.net)

Known issues

  • Potential Performance Regression Due to Limited Range Check Elimination (hotspot/compiler)

Issues fixed

  • ZGC: Reintroduced Support for Non-Default ObjectAlignmentInBytes (hotspot/compiler)

Other notes

  • Added Four Root Certificates from DigiCert, Inc. (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Three Root Certificates from eMudhra Technologies Limited (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added Telia Root CA v2 Certificate (security-libs/java.security)
  • Added ISRG Root X2 CA Certificate from Let's Encrypt (security-libs/java.security)
  • NMT: Make Peak Values Available in Release Builds (hotspot/runtime)
  • Add User Facing Warning If THPs Are Enabled but Cannot Be Used (hotspot/runtime)

Bug fixes

Java SE 21.0.3[410] 2024-04-16 New features
  • Update XML Security for Java to 3.0.3 (security-libs/javax.crypto)

Known issues

  • jpackage Apps May Fail to Build on Debian Linux Distros Due to Missing Shared Libraries (tools/jpackage)

Other notes

  • AWT SystemTray API Is Not Supported on Most Linux Desktops (client-libs/java.awt)
  • Added Certainly R1 and E1 Root Certificates (security-libs/java.security)
  • Align javac with the Java Language Specification by Rejecting final in Record Patterns (tools/javac)

Updates to Third Party Libraries

  • FreeType 2.13.2 (java.desktop)
  • Xalan Java 2.7.3 (java.xml)
  • XML Security for Java 3.0.3 (java.xml.crypto)

Bug fixes

Java SE 21.0.4[412] 2024-07-16
Java SE 21.0.5[413] 2024-10-15
Java SE 21.0.6[414] 2025-01-21
Java SE 21.0.7[415] 2025-04-15
Java SE 21.0.8[416] 2025-07-25

Java SE 22

[edit]
Java SE 22
Released19 March 2024
(19 months ago)
 (2024-03-19)
# of JEPs12
Addition(s)
NotableForeign function and memory API, unnamed variables and patterns
Preview(s)Structured concurrency, string templates
IncubatingVector API
Support ended
PublicSeptember 2024 (2024-09)

Java 22 was released on March 19, 2024.[417][418] The following features, or JEPs, were added with this release:

  1. JEP 423: Region Pinning for G1
  2. JEP 447: Statements before super(...) (Preview)
  3. JEP 454: Foreign Function & Memory API
  4. JEP 456: Unnamed Variables & Patterns
  5. JEP 457: Class-File API (Preview)
  6. JEP 458: Launch Multi-File Source-Code Programs
  7. JEP 459: String Templates (Second Preview)
  8. JEP 460: Vector API (Seventh Incubator)
  9. JEP 461: Stream Gatherers (Preview)
  10. JEP 462: Structured Concurrency (Second Preview)
  11. JEP 463: Implicitly Declared Classes and Instance Main Methods (Second Preview)
  12. JEP 464: Scoped Values (Second Preview)

An API related to Java's threading implementation, java.lang.Thread.countStackFrames, was removed.[3][419]

Java SE 23

[edit]
Java SE 23
Released17 September 2024
(13 months ago)
 (2024-09-17)
# of JEPs12
Addition(s)
NotableMarkdown documentation comments
Preview(s)Primitive types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch, Class-File API, Stream Gatherers, Module import declarations, Implicitly declared classes and instance main methods, structured concurrency, scoped values, flexible constructor bodies
IncubatingVector API

Java 23 was released on September 17, 2024,[420][421][422] with the following JEPs:

  1. JEP 455: Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch (Preview)
  2. JEP 466: Class-File API (Second Preview)
  3. JEP 467: Markdown Documentation Comments
  4. JEP 469: Vector API (Eighth Incubator)
  5. JEP 473: Stream Gatherers (Second Preview)
  6. JEP 471: Deprecate the Memory-Access Methods in sun.misc.Unsafe for Removal
  7. JEP 474: ZGC: Generational Mode by Default
  8. JEP 476: Module Import Declarations (Preview)
  9. JEP 477: Implicitly Declared Classes and Instance Main Methods (Third Preview)
  10. JEP 480: Structured Concurrency (Third Preview)
  11. JEP 481: Scoped Values (Third Preview)
  12. JEP 482: Flexible Constructor Bodies (Second Preview)

The String Templates preview feature was removed in Java 23 due to issues with the design of the feature.[423]

Java SE 24

[edit]
Java SE 24
Released18 March 2025
(7 months ago)
 (2025-03-18)
# of JEPs24

The specification for Java 24 was finalized in December 2024, with 24 JEPs making it into the release and it was released on 18 March 2025.[424]

The following JEPs were targeted to this version of Java SE:[425]

  1. JEP 404: Generational Shenandoah (Experimental)
  2. JEP 450: Compact Object Headers (Experimental) (formerly known as Project Lilliput)
  3. JEP 472: Prepare to Restrict the Use of JNI
  4. JEP 475: Late Barrier Expansion for G1
  5. JEP 478: Key Derivation Function API (Preview)
  6. JEP 479: Remove the Windows 32-bit x86 Port
  7. JEP 483: Ahead-of-Time Class Loading & Linking
  8. JEP 484: Class-File API
  9. JEP 485: Stream Gatherers
  10. JEP 486: Permanently Disable the Security Manager
  11. JEP 487: Scoped Values (Fourth Preview)
  12. JEP 488: Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch (Second Preview)
  13. JEP 489: Vector API (Ninth Incubator)
  14. JEP 490: ZGC: Remove the Non-Generational Mode
  15. JEP 491: Synchronize Virtual Threads without Pinning
  16. JEP 492: Flexible Constructor Bodies (Third Preview)
  17. JEP 493: Linking Run-Time Images without JMODs
  18. JEP 494: Module Import Declarations (Second Preview)
  19. JEP 495: Simple Source Files and Instance Main Methods (Fourth Preview)
  20. JEP 496: Quantum-Resistant Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism
  21. JEP 497: Quantum-Resistant Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm
  22. JEP 498: Warn upon Use of Memory-Access Methods in sun.misc.Unsafe
  23. JEP 499: Structured Concurrency (Fourth Preview)
  24. JEP 501: Deprecate the 32-bit x86 Port for Removal

Java SE 24 is the last release of Java to officially support the 32-bit x86 edition of Microsoft Windows 10.

Java SE 25 (LTS)

[edit]

Future features

[edit]
  • Project Valhalla: Value classes, whose objects lack identity, but can in certain cases get an improved memory layout (with less indirection), or have their allocation optimized away entirely.
  • Project Panama:
    • Improved interoperability with native code, to enable Java source code to call functions and use data types from other languages, in a way that is easier and has better performance than today (this part of Project Panama is getting stabilized in Java 22 under JEP 454: Foreign Function & Memory API).
    • Vector API, a portable and relatively low-level abstraction layer for SIMD programming. Its stabilization is dependent on Project Valhalla.
  • Project Lilliput: Reduce the size of Java object headers. First down to 64 bits, and then down to 32 bits.
  • Reducing startup time and warm-up time (time to peak performance) in JIT mode:
    • Project CRaC enables making snapshots of whole JVM (together with the running application) and restoring it with necessary adjustments (reopening files, sockets, etc).
    • Project Leyden, among other things, will allow partial or (in the long term) full AOT compiling, reducing overall dynamism (by adopting so called "closed-world constraints") to reduce dynamic compiling overhead.
  • Project Babylon aims to extend the Java language's reach to alternative programming models with an enhancement to its reflective programming abilities, called code reflection (i.e., reflection over code itself). The stated main goal is to run Java code on GPUs, with SQL and other programming models as secondary targets.

Implementations

[edit]

The officially supported Java platform, first developed at Sun and now stewarded by Oracle, is Java SE. Releases are based on the OpenJDK project, a free and open-source project with an open development model. Other Java implementations exist, however—in part due to Java's early history as proprietary software. In contrast, some implementations were created to offer some benefits over the standard implementation, often the result of some area of academic or corporate-sponsored research. Many Linux distributions include builds of OpenJDK through the IcedTea project started by Red Hat, which provides a more straightforward build and integration environment.

Visual J++ and the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine were created as incompatible implementations. After the Sun v. Microsoft lawsuit, Microsoft abandoned it and began work on the .NET platform. In 2021, Microsoft started distributing compatible "Microsoft Build of OpenJDK" for Java 11 first then also for Java 17. Their builds support not only Windows, but also Linux and macOS.

Other proprietary Java implementations are available, such as Azul's Zing. Azul offers certified open source OpenJDK builds under the Zulu moniker.

Prior to the release of OpenJDK, while Sun's implementation was still proprietary, the GNU Classpath project was created to provide a free and open-source implementation of the Java platform. Since the release of JDK 7, when OpenJDK became the official reference implementation, the original motivation for the GNU Classpath project almost completely disappeared, and its last release was in 2012.

The Apache Harmony project was started shortly before the release of OpenJDK. After Sun's initial source code release, the Harmony project continued, working to provide an implementation under a lax license, in contrast to the protective license chosen for OpenJDK. Google later developed Android and released it under a lax license. Android incorporated parts of the Harmony project, supplemented with Google's own Dalvik virtual machine and ART. Apache Harmony has since been retired, and Google has switched its Harmony components with equivalent ones from OpenJDK.

Both Jikes and Jikes RVM are open-source research projects that IBM developed.

Several other implementations exist that started as proprietary software, but are now open source. IBM initially developed OpenJ9 as the proprietary J9,[428] but has since relicensed the project and donated it to the Eclipse Foundation. JRockit is a proprietary implementation that was acquired by Oracle and incorporated into subsequent OpenJDK versions.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The history of Java versions documents the evolution of the Java Standard Edition (SE) platform, a widely used language and runtime environment first released by on January 23, 1996, as JDK 1.0, and subsequently maintained by following its 2010 acquisition of Sun. Over nearly three decades, Java has progressed through more than 25 major versions, transitioning from irregular release schedules in its early years to a standardized six-month cadence starting with JDK 9 in 2017, with (LTS) versions designated every two years to ensure stability for enterprise applications. Key milestones in Java's version history include the introduction of foundational elements like the Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT) and applets in JDK 1.0, which enabled cross-platform graphical user interfaces and web-based execution. Subsequent releases built on this foundation: JDK 1.1 (1997) added the JavaBeans component model and (JDBC) for database integration; J2SE 1.4 (2002) incorporated the New I/O (NIO) API and XML support; and J2SE 5.0 (2004) marked a significant leap with generics, annotations, autoboxing, and the enhanced for-loop, modernizing the language for safer and more concise code. By JDK 6 (2006) and JDK 7 (2011), refinements included scripting support via JavaScript integration and the try-with-resources statement for automatic resource management, respectively. The landmark JDK 8 (2014), the first LTS under , introduced lambda expressions, the Stream API, and the default methods in interfaces, revolutionizing paradigms in Java while maintaining . The shift to a predictable release model with JDK 9 (2017) introduced the (JPMS) for better modularity and encapsulation, addressing long-standing scalability issues in large applications. This era saw non-LTS releases like JDK 10–16 delivering incremental enhancements, such as the var keyword for type inference in JDK 10 (2018) and for switch in previews starting with JDK 17 (2021). LTS releases—JDK 8, 11 (2018), 17 (2021), 21 (2023), and 25 (September 2025)—receive premier support for five years, extended support for three additional years, and sustaining support indefinitely, with providing security updates and performance packs under specific licensing terms. As of November 2025, JDK 25 remains the latest LTS, featuring advancements like scoped values and to enhance scalability and developer productivity, while the platform continues to evolve through the community for open-source contributions. This versioning strategy balances innovation with reliability, supporting Java's role in , Android development, and cloud-native applications worldwide.

Overview

Origins of Java

The development of the Java programming language originated at Sun Microsystems in late 1990, when a small team led by James Gosling, along with Mike Sheridan and Patrick Naughton, initiated the Green Project to create a new programming language and runtime environment for consumer electronics and networked devices. The project's initial focus was on enabling software for interactive television and smart appliances, such as set-top boxes, amid the anticipated convergence of televisions, computers, and telephones into digital ecosystems. By mid-1991, the team had formalized the effort, aiming to design a robust, object-oriented language that could handle the constraints of resource-limited embedded systems while supporting reliable distributed computing. The language was initially named , inspired by visible from Gosling's office window at Sun, and the team developed a called Star7—a touchscreen-based interactive device demonstrated in September 1992. However, challenges with cable industry partnerships led to the project's temporary halt in 1992, and it was revived in 1993 with a pivot toward the burgeoning , influenced by the popularity of the browser released that year, which highlighted the need for dynamic content in browsers. This shift refocused efforts on creating applets—small, portable programs that could run securely within web pages—addressing the limitations of platform-specific languages like C++ for cross-device deployment. Central to Oak's design were motivations for platform independence, achieved through bytecode compilation and execution on a Java Virtual Machine (JVM), embodying the "write once, run anywhere" principle to simplify development for diverse hardware. The language incorporated automatic garbage collection for , reducing errors in long-running applications, and an early model emphasizing sandboxing to prevent malicious code execution, particularly vital for untrusted applets downloaded over networks. These foundations drew from Gosling's prior research on virtual machines at , prioritizing simplicity, robustness, and portability over performance optimizations suited only to specific architectures. Due to trademark conflicts with an existing software product named , the language was renamed in early 1995 during a brainstorming session, with the name evoking energy and passing legal checks as the fourth option considered. announced on May 23, 1995, at the SunWorld Expo in , alongside the browser demo showcasing applet capabilities. An alpha version was made publicly available that same month, initially for Solaris, marking the transition from internal prototyping to broader adoption.

Evolution of version numbering

The initial releases of Java were distributed under the name Java Development Kit (JDK), starting with version 1.0 in January 1996, which provided core developer tools for compiling, debugging, and running Java programs. This naming emphasized the toolkit's role in enabling developers to build cross-platform applications using the Java programming language. The subsequent JDK 1.1, released in February 1997, continued this convention, introducing enhancements like the JavaBeans component model while maintaining the focus on development utilities. In December 1998, with the release of version 1.2, rebranded the platform as the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE), marking a significant evolution to reflect the expanded ecosystem. This shift introduced the "Java 2" moniker alongside companion platforms, Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) for server-side applications and Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME) for embedded devices, unifying them under a cohesive versioning scheme that highlighted the platform's maturity beyond initial consumer electronics targeting. The numbering retained the 1.x format for compatibility (e.g., 1.2), but the "2" signified architectural advancements like the Collections framework. By September 2004, following substantial updates in versions 1.3 and 1.4, the platform was renamed (Java SE) 5.0, dropping the "2" to streamline branding after the platform had outgrown its "Java 2" origins. This change aligned Java SE more closely with the evolving Java EE (formerly J2EE) and Java ME (formerly J2ME), emphasizing a unified family of standards without the outdated "2" prefix, while the version number advanced to 5.0 to denote major feature additions like generics and annotations. The developer version remained 1.5.0 internally for . In 2017, and the community adopted a six-month release cadence for feature releases, beginning with Java SE 9 in September 2017, which simplified numbering to sequential integers (e.g., 9, 10) without the ".0" suffix, reflecting a time-based model over feature-driven delays. This cadence schedules releases every March and September, allowing incremental delivery of enhancements while maintaining stability. Concurrently, Java 9 introduced JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) as a formalized process for proposing, reviewing, and tracking changes, with JEP 1 establishing the umbrella process to foster community-driven evolution. Long-term support (LTS) designations were formalized starting with Java SE 8 in March 2014, providing extended update cycles for critical releases every few years to support enterprise adoption. Subsequent LTS versions, such as 11 (2018), 17 (2021), 21 (2023), and 25 (2025), follow the six-month cadence but receive prolonged premier and extended support, balancing rapid innovation with reliability for production environments.

Release policies

Development and release cadence

The initial releases of Java followed an irregular cadence, with JDK 1.0 launching on January 23, 1996, followed by a 13-month gap before JDK 1.1 arrived on February 19, 1997. This pattern reflected the nascent stage of the platform's development under , where major versions emerged sporadically based on internal milestones rather than a fixed schedule. Subsequent early releases, such as J2SE 1.2 in December 1998 and J2SE 1.3 in May 2000, continued this ad hoc approach, with intervals varying from 14 to 18 months. In 1998, established the (JCP) to standardize Java's evolution through collaborative input from industry stakeholders. The JCP introduced Java Specification Requests (JSRs) as the formal mechanism for proposing and approving enhancements, ensuring cross-vendor compatibility and broader participation in platform development. This framework marked a shift toward more structured , though release timing remained inconsistent in the platform's early years. Prior to 2017, major Java releases occurred on an annual or biennial basis, supplemented by point updates for stability and security, such as the multiple 1.4.x iterations from 2002 to 2004. For instance, Java SE 5 (2004), 6 (2006), 7 (2011), and 8 (2014) exemplified this cadence, often delayed by complex feature integrations. Under the project, which became the primary after Sun's acquisition by in 2010, development adopted a meritocratic model emphasizing community contributions and transparent decision-making led by Oracle-appointed project leads. The release process underwent a significant transformation in 2017, prompted by delays in Project Jigsaw—the modularization effort that pushed 9 from its original 2016 target to September 2017. To mitigate future delays and accelerate innovation, and the adopted a six-month release cycle for feature-complete versions, alternating between March and September general availability dates starting with 10 in March 2018. Each cycle includes defined phases: an initial development period, followed by Rampdown Phase One (feature freeze, typically four weeks), Rampdown Phase Two (code freeze and high-priority bug fixes, three weeks), and a release candidate period leading to general availability, spanning about two to three months of stabilization. Following Java 9, all platform enhancements are managed exclusively through JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), which are either targeted for specific releases or integrated into the mainline repository for ongoing refinement. This JEP-driven workflow integrates seamlessly with the six-month cadence, allowing for predictable delivery while accommodating (LTS) versions approximately every two years within the same rhythm.

Support and LTS designations

In the early years of Java development, prior to the formal establishment of Long-Term Support (LTS) designations, Oracle (and previously Sun Microsystems) provided support for major releases primarily through bug fixes and security patches for approximately 1-2 years following their release, without a structured LTS framework. For instance, Java SE 6, released in December 2006, received public updates until February 2013, while extended paid support continued until December 2018. Similarly, Java SE 7, released in July 2011, had public updates ending in April 2015, with extended support concluding in July 2022. Beginning with Java SE 8 in March 2014, Oracle introduced a formalized LTS policy to enhance stability for enterprise environments, designating select major releases as LTS every 2-3 years. Under this policy, LTS versions receive premier support (including new features, bug fixes, and security updates) for at least 5 years, followed by extended support (focused on security and critical fixes) for an additional 3 years or more, often totaling over 8 years of paid premier and extended support. Free public updates for personal and development use are available indefinitely for Java 8 via java.com; for Java 11 and 17 under the Oracle Technology Network License Agreement via oracle.com/javadownload; and for Java 21 and later under a no-fee terms and conditions license (with free access for all users until the end of the premier support period, after which personal/development use remains free under OTN terms). As of November 2025, Java 17 public updates are free for personal use under OTN terms following the end of its permissive license period in October 2024. The next LTS, Java 29, is planned for September 2027, maintaining the two-year cadence established since Java 11. The LTS releases to date include Java 8 (March 2014), Java 11 (September 2018), Java 17 (September 2021), Java 21 (September 2023), and Java 25 (September 2025), each emphasizing long-term stability and compatibility for production systems. Non-LTS feature releases, introduced under the six-month cadence starting with Java 9 in 2017, receive premier support for only 6 months, until the next feature release, after which they transition to sustaining support with limited critical patches available only through paid subscriptions. The OpenJDK community provides ongoing support for Java versions through backported fixes and builds, particularly for LTS releases, with vendors such as Eclipse Adoptium offering Temurin distributions that include security updates and bug fixes for older versions like Java 8, 11, 17, and 21 beyond Oracle's timelines. Adoptium, for example, maintains backports from newer OpenJDK releases to ensure compatibility and security for legacy deployments. Oracle recommends migrating to the latest LTS release to benefit from ongoing security updates and to mitigate risks associated with unsupported versions, as end-of-life releases like Java 6 and 7 no longer receive official patches.

Release timeline

Major releases table

The following table summarizes the major releases of Java SE (formerly JDK and J2SE), highlighting key metadata for reference. LTS designations apply to versions receiving extended support per Oracle's modern policy starting from JDK 8, with changes in versioning noted (e.g., 1.5 renamed to starting in ). JEPs (JDK Enhancement Proposals) are N/A for releases prior to 9, as the formal process began with Java 9.
VersionRelease dateCodenameKey themesLTSNumber of JEPs
1.0January 23, 1996Initial platformNoN/A
1.1February 19, 1997NoneJDBC and RMINoN/A
1.2December 4, 1998Swing, CollectionsNoN/A
1.3May 8, 2000HotSpot JVMNoN/A
1.4February 13, 2002Assertions, NIONoN/A
5.0September 30, 2004Generics, annotationsNoN/A
6December 11, 2006Scripting supportNoN/A
7July 28, 2011DolphinTry-with-resourcesNoN/A
8March 18, 2014NoneLambdas, YesN/A
9September 21, 2017NoneModular systemNo9
10March 20, 2018NoneVar keywordNo12
11September 25, 2018NoneHTTP ClientYes17
12March 19, 2019NoneSwitch expressionsNo8
13September 17, 2019NoneText blocksNo5
14March 17, 2020NoneRecords, No16
15September 15, 2020NoneSealed classesNo8
16March 16, 2021NoneVector APINo17
17September 14, 2021NoneFinal Yes14
18March 22, 2022NoneSimple web serverNo9
19September 20, 2022NoneVirtual threads previewNo8
20March 21, 2023NoneScoped valuesNo8
21September 19, 2023NoneVirtual threads finalYes16
22March 19, 2024NoneForeign function APINo12
23September 17, 2024NoneStream Gatherers (preview)No12
24March 18, 2025NoneStream enhancementsNo24
25September 16, 2025NoneImmutable valuesYes18
LTS rows are highlighted in the source data for extended support periods. Sources: Java SE Support Roadmap, JDK project pages (e.g., for JEPs and dates), JDK Releases archive. Codenames derived from / historical conventions for pre-8 releases.

Update releases overview

Prior to Java 9, issued point updates for Java SE versions to address bug fixes, performance improvements, and minor enhancements, such as the series of updates for J2SE 1.4.2 (e.g., 1.4.2_01 through 1.4.2_19), which included fixes for stability issues and optimizations. Security vulnerabilities were handled separately through quarterly Critical Patch Updates (CPUs), which provided patches for known CVEs across supported versions without requiring a full point release. Starting with Java SE 5, Oracle introduced structured update streams denoted as major_version u update_number (e.g., 8uXXX for 8), where critical fixes including patches, tunings, and compatibility adjustments were backported to maintain stability for enterprise users. For instance, Java 8 received over 40 general availability updates by November 2025, alongside additional bundled patch releases (BPRs) for targeted fixes, ensuring ongoing support despite its age. These updates often included removals to align with evolving standards while preserving . Following the shift to a six-month feature release cadence with Java 9 in 2017, point updates were discontinued for non-LTS versions, which receive support only until the next feature release (approximately six months). (LTS) versions, however, continue to receive quarterly updates focused on , , and reliability; for example, as of November 2025, Java 17's most recent update is 17.0.17 (October 2025), incorporating CVE fixes and IANA data updates. The primary purposes of these updates across Java's history remain securing against vulnerabilities (e.g., via CPU-integrated patches), tuning for better runtime efficiency, and ensuring compatibility with existing applications, sometimes through selective backports. Java 8 stands out for its extended update lifecycle, with Oracle providing public updates into 2025 and commercial support extending to December 2030, reflecting its widespread adoption in legacy systems. Vendor-specific variations exist, particularly with builds from the community or distributors like and Amazon, which typically lag Oracle's releases by days or weeks but prioritize essential security and stability fixes under open-source licensing.

1990s versions

JDK 1.0

JDK 1.0, the inaugural stable release of the , was made available on January 23, 1996, by . Internally developed under the codename , this version marked the transition from experimental prototypes to a production-ready platform, emphasizing platform independence through its core architecture. The release included the foundational (JVM), which interpreted compiled from Java , enabling the "" paradigm across diverse hardware and operating systems. Bytecode was stored in class files with version 45.0, providing a portable that the JVM executed securely. At its core, JDK 1.0 introduced automatic garbage collection to manage memory allocation and deallocation, reducing common programming errors like memory leaks and simplifying development compared to in languages like C++. The class loader mechanism enforced by isolating code execution, verifying bytecode integrity, and preventing unauthorized access to system resources, which was crucial for its intended use in untrusted environments. These components formed the bedrock of the Java runtime, supporting multithreading, , and object-oriented principles without native code dependencies in the standard libraries. The standard libraries in JDK 1.0 provided essential functionality for building applications, including the (AWT) in packages like java.awt, java.awt.image, and java.awt.peer for creating graphical user interfaces with components such as buttons, windows, and event handling. Applets, enabled via the java.applet package, allowed embedding interactive Java code directly into web pages for dynamic content delivery. Basic input/output operations were handled by java.io, while networking capabilities in java.net supported sockets for TCP connections and the class for resource access, facilitating client-server communication and web interactions. The initial ecosystem centered on the HotJava browser, a demonstration tool released alongside JDK 1.0 that fully implemented applet support and showcased Java's potential for web-based applications. Targeted primarily at embedded systems and web development, it enabled cross-platform deployment without recompilation. Adoption surged rapidly due to the appeal of applets for creating platform-agnostic interactive web experiences, though performance was limited by the absence of a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, relying solely on bytecode interpretation. A key milestone was its first commercial integration as a plugin for Netscape Navigator 2.0, which broadened accessibility and spurred early developer interest in web applets. This foundation paved the way for enhancements in subsequent releases like JDK 1.1.

JDK 1.1

JDK 1.1, the first major update to the , was released in February 1997 by . This version built upon the foundational capabilities of JDK 1.0 by introducing features that enhanced connectivity, component-based development, and performance, laying the groundwork for Java's expansion into enterprise environments. Key additions in JDK 1.1 included the (JDBC) API, which provided a standard interface for Java applications to access relational databases using SQL, including an ODBC bridge for broader compatibility. Remote Method Invocation (RMI) enabled distributed object communication between Java virtual machines, supporting object serialization for passing parameters and results across networks. The component model standardized the creation of reusable software components with properties, events, and methods, facilitating assembly of applications from modular parts. Additionally, the reflection API allowed programs to inspect and manipulate class structures, methods, and fields at runtime, subject to security constraints. On the language front, JDK 1.1 introduced inner classes, which permitted classes to be defined within other classes for improved encapsulation and reduced in event-handling scenarios. The (AWT) saw significant enhancements, including a delegation-based event model that replaced the earlier model, along with support for printing, popup menus, clipboard operations, and lightweight components to reduce overhead in graphical user interfaces. Tooling improvements encompassed enhancements to the compiler for better optimization and error reporting, as well as expanded capabilities, including the @deprecated tag to flag obsolete APIs and aid in documentation maintenance. Performance advancements featured early support for Just-In-Time () compilers, which translated to native at runtime for faster execution, along with assembly-optimized interpreter loops on platforms like Windows and Solaris. These developments enabled the rise of server-side Java applications by providing robust tools for database integration and distributed computing, while browser support from Netscape Navigator 4.0 and later versions broadened applet deployment. JDK 1.1 thus marked a pivotal step toward Java's maturation as a platform for enterprise and web-based development, setting the stage for subsequent expansions in the Java 2 platform.

J2SE 1.2

J2SE 1.2, released on December 4, 1998, represented a pivotal evolution in the Java platform, rebranded as "Java 2" to reflect its expanded scope and maturity. This version, internally codenamed Playground, introduced a new edition-based structure, splitting the platform into J2SE for standard desktop and development use, J2EE for enterprise applications, and J2ME for embedded and mobile devices. The rebranding and edition model aimed to better organize Java's growing ecosystem, addressing diverse deployment needs while maintaining core compatibility with prior releases. A major highlight was the integration of the Swing GUI framework, which provided a lightweight, customizable alternative to the (AWT) with over 250 components supporting model-view-controller architecture for richer, platform-independent interfaces. Complementing this, the Collections framework debuted with core interfaces like , Set, and , along with implementations such as ArrayList, HashSet, and HashMap, enabling developers to handle complex data structures more efficiently without relying on custom solutions. Additionally, the Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler became a standard feature in the Sun JVM, dynamically compiling to native code for substantial performance gains, particularly in compute-intensive applications. Security enhancements focused on granular control through policy files, allowing administrators to define precise permissions for sources, replacing broader all-or-nothing models and mitigating risks from untrusted applets. saw expansions in handling, including the Input Method Editor (IME) framework to support input of like Japanese and Chinese, alongside AWT's new ComponentOrientation class for rendering. Compatibility emphasized strict version verification via the java.version system property, ensuring applications could detect runtime environments, while AWT gained native drag-and-drop support for seamless data transfer between Java and host applications. These changes laid a robust foundation for subsequent J2SE updates, prioritizing developer productivity and platform reliability.

2000s versions

J2SE 1.3

J2SE 1.3, codenamed Kestrel, was released on May 8, 2000, marking an incremental update to the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition with a focus on enhancing media support, performance, and integration services. This version introduced the JavaSound API, which provided comprehensive support for audio capture, processing, playback, and MIDI synthesis, enabling developers to handle formats such as AIFF, AU, WAV, and MIDI types 0 and 1 in a platform-independent manner. The Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) was also added, offering standardized access to naming and directory services including LDAP, COS Naming, and RMI registries, thereby simplifying integration with enterprise directory systems. Additionally, the HotSpot virtual machine became the default JVM, featuring both Client and Server variants optimized for startup time/memory footprint and peak execution speed, respectively, with advanced just-in-time (JIT) compilation and garbage collection mechanisms. The Java programming language experienced no major syntactic or semantic changes in this release, prioritizing overall platform stability and reliability over new language constructs. For deployment, Java Web Start was made available as a tool to facilitate the distribution and launching of Java applications over the web without requiring complex installation processes. Security management was aided by the policytool, a graphical user interface for creating and editing Java security policy files. Performance saw notable gains through the integration of the HotSpot JVM and optimizations in class libraries, resulting in faster runtime speeds than J2SE 1.2 in various benchmarks, particularly for server-side applications. J2SE 1.3 was the first release to incorporate full compliance testing against the J2SE specification via the (TCK), ensuring consistent behavior across implementations. These enhancements laid groundwork for subsequent expansions in XML processing and I/O capabilities seen in J2SE 1.4.

J2SE 1.4

J2SE 1.4, codenamed "," was released on February 13, 2002, as the first Java platform developed under the through JSR 59. This version focused on improving reliability, performance, and developer productivity, building on prior releases with targeted enhancements in core language features, I/O operations, and support for emerging web technologies. It introduced several APIs that addressed common pain points in and integration, positioning it as a foundational release for enterprise development. A key language enhancement was the addition of the assert keyword, which enables developers to embed boolean expressions for runtime debugging and validation of program assumptions, particularly useful during testing phases. Assertions can be enabled or disabled via command-line flags, allowing seamless integration into production without performance overhead when deactivated. Complementing this, the java.util.regex package provided built-in support for regular expressions, offering powerful pattern-matching capabilities inspired by syntax for tasks like text searching and validation. The release significantly advanced I/O capabilities with the New I/O (NIO) API in the java.nio package, introducing non-blocking channels, buffers, and selectors to handle high-volume network and file operations more efficiently than traditional streams. XML processing was standardized through the inclusion of JAXP 1.2, which supports parsing via and DOM, along with transformations for document manipulation. Additionally, the java.util.[logging](/page/Logging) package debuted as a comprehensive logging framework, allowing configurable log levels, handlers, and formatters to facilitate diagnostics and auditing in applications. Security was bolstered by fully integrating the Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) for SSL/TLS protocol support, enabling secure communications without external dependencies. This integration extended to XML-related security through the platform's framework, laying groundwork for digital signatures in XML documents. Tools saw notable improvements, including an updated Java Plug-in for enhanced applet deployment in web browsers, supporting better cross-platform consistency and performance. The keytool utility was refined to manage JSSE keystores and certificates more robustly, streamlining certificate generation and validation workflows. On the platform front, J2SE 1.4 offered initial 64-bit support on SPARC-v9 architectures via the Java HotSpot Server VM, though with some performance overhead compared to 32-bit modes. This version quickly became a baseline for numerous applications, providing a stable foundation for deployments that persisted well into the mid-2000s due to its balanced feature set and .

Java SE 5.0

Java SE 5.0, codenamed "," was released on September 30, 2004, marking a significant in the platform. This version was externally branded as 5.0, departing from the previous J2SE 1.x , while retaining 1.5.0 as its internal version identifier to maintain compatibility with development tools and documentation. The release, developed under and later stewarded by , introduced foundational enhancements aimed at improving code safety, developer productivity, and support for concurrent programming. A major focus of Java SE 5.0 was modernizing the Java language to address longstanding limitations in expressiveness and . Generics were added to enable compile-time type checking for collections, reducing runtime errors and eliminating the need for explicit in many scenarios (JSR 14). Enums provided a typesafe, object-oriented alternative to constants, supporting methods and fields within enumerated types (part of JSR 201). Autoboxing and automated conversions between primitive types and their wrapper classes, simplifying code for collections and arithmetic operations (JSR 201). Variable arguments (varargs) allowed methods to accept a variable number of arguments, streamlining API design (JSR 201). The enhanced for-loop (also known as the for-each loop) facilitated concise iteration over arrays and collections without explicit indexing (JSR 201). Static imports permitted unqualified access to static members of classes, reducing verbosity in code that frequently uses constants or utility methods (JSR 201). The platform also expanded its standard APIs to better support concurrent and metadata-driven development. The java.util.concurrent package introduced high-performance utilities for multithreading, including the Executor framework for managing thread pools, explicit locks via ReentrantLock, and atomic variables for lock-free operations, addressing the need for scalable concurrency in server-side applications (JSR 166). This package significantly improved upon the basic java.lang.Thread and synchronized mechanisms, enabling more efficient handling of parallelism in multi-core environments. The annotations framework allowed developers to embed metadata in source code, supporting tools for code generation, validation, and configuration without altering runtime behavior (JSR 175). Performance enhancements in Java SE 5.0 included optimizations and static analysis capabilities that provided hints for better code generation and error detection during compilation. Additionally, the Instrumentation in the java.lang.instrument package enabled dynamic modification at runtime, facilitating advanced monitoring and profiling tools for production environments. These changes had a profound impact on Java's ecosystem, boosting adoption by making the language more intuitive and robust for enterprise-scale applications. The concurrency utilities, in particular, resolved key bottlenecks in building "scalable Java" systems, as evidenced by their widespread integration into frameworks and libraries for multithreaded programming.

Java SE 6

Java SE 6, codenamed "Mustang," was released on December 11, 2006, by as the final major version developed before Oracle's acquisition in 2010. This release emphasized enhancements for integrating dynamic languages and improving developer tooling, building on the foundational changes in Java SE 5.0 without introducing new language syntax. It included significant updates to APIs for scripting, compilation, database access, desktop integration, and system monitoring, aiming to streamline application development and runtime management. A key addition was the Scripting API defined by JSR 223, which provided a standard framework for embedding scripting languages such as (via the Rhino engine) and into Java applications. This API allowed developers to invoke scripts from Java code and expose Java objects to scripts, facilitating dynamic behavior in enterprise applications and tools. Complementing this, the Compiler API (JSR 199) enabled programmatic access to the (), supporting tasks like dynamic code generation and in integrated development environments (IDEs). Additionally, JDBC 4.0 (JSR 221) introduced automatic driver loading via the Service Provider mechanism, eliminating manual Class.forName() calls, along with support for SQL XML data types and annotated SQL exceptions for better error handling. On the desktop side, the new Desktop API allowed Java applications to interact with native system features, such as opening files or URLs in default applications and accessing the system tray for notifications. The SwingWorker utility was added to simplify concurrent programming in Swing-based UIs by handling background tasks without blocking the event dispatch thread. For monitoring, enhancements to (JMX) included MXBeans for simplified instrumentation of MBeans and dynamic attachment of management agents without restarting the JVM. Post-release, Java SE 6 received numerous updates focused on security vulnerabilities and performance optimizations, with public updates ending in April 2013 (last public update 6u51) and extended support for customers continuing until the final update (6u211) in October 2018. These patches addressed critical issues, including remote code execution risks, while maintaining for long-term deployments. As the last major release under Sun, it marked a before the shift to -led development, influencing subsequent versions like Java SE 7 with its tooling foundations.

2010s versions

Java SE 7

Java SE 7, codenamed , was released on July 28, 2011, marking the first major version of Java under Oracle's stewardship following its acquisition of . Originally anticipated in 2009, the release faced significant delays primarily due to the deferral of Project Jigsaw, a modularization effort that was postponed to later versions to prioritize stability and other enhancements. This version introduced a series of practical improvements aimed at enhancing developer productivity and performance, bridging the gap since Java SE 6's release in 2006. A key focus of Java SE 7 was Project Coin, a collection of small language enhancements designed to simplify common coding patterns without altering the core syntax dramatically. Notable additions included support for strings in switch statements, allowing developers to use string literals directly for case matching, which streamlined code for text-based selections. The try-with-resources statement automated resource management by ensuring that objects implementing AutoCloseable are closed after use, reducing boilerplate in exception-handling blocks. The diamond operator (<>) enabled for generic instances, such as new ArrayList<>() , making declarations more concise. Additionally, multi-catch clauses allowed catching multiple exception types in a single catch block, like catch (IOException | SQLException e), improving readability for related error handling. In terms of APIs, Java SE 7 expanded the New I/O (NIO) framework with NIO.2, providing comprehensive support for file systems, including symbolic links, file attributes, and path operations via the java.nio.file package. This update also introduced channels for non-blocking file and socket operations, enhancing scalability in I/O-intensive applications. For concurrency, the framework was added under java.util.concurrent, implementing a work-stealing to efficiently parallelize divide-and-conquer tasks on multi-core processors, as exemplified by recursive computations like sorting or tree traversals. Security enhancements in Java SE 7 included native support for (ECC) through the SunEC provider, offering algorithms like ECDSA for digital signatures and ECDH for key agreement, which provide stronger security with smaller key sizes compared to RSA. The platform also implemented TLS 1.2 protocol support in the JSSE provider, enabling secure communications with advanced cipher suites, though it required explicit enabling for client connections beyond the default TLS 1.0. On the tools front, JSR 292 introduced the invokedynamic bytecode instruction to the JVM, facilitating better integration and performance for dynamically typed languages like or on the platform by allowing runtime method handle binding. Java SE 7 addressed a five-year hiatus in major releases post-Java SE 6, receiving regular updates through 2015 for public availability and extended support until 2022, ensuring long-term stability for enterprise applications during a transitional period in Java's evolution.

Java SE 8

Java SE 8, released on March 18, 2014, marked a significant milestone as the first (LTS) version of the , providing extended maintenance and updates to enterprise developers. This release introduced a toward elements, enabling more concise and expressive code while maintaining backward compatibility. Codename , it built upon Java SE 7 by incorporating features that addressed long-standing developer pain points, such as verbose anonymous inner classes and inadequate handling of null values. At the language level, Java SE 8 added lambda expressions, allowing developers to pass behavior as arguments to methods and treat functionality as data, which streamlined operations on collections and event handling. Method references complemented lambdas by providing a shorthand for invoking existing methods, enhancing readability. Interfaces gained default and static methods, permitting the addition of new functionality without breaking existing implementations, a key enabler for library evolution in multi-version environments. The API enhancements further solidified Java SE 8's functional foundation. The java.util.stream package introduced the Stream API, facilitating functional-style operations like map, filter, and reduce on data collections, with built-in support for parallel processing to leverage multi-core hardware. The Optional class in java.util promoted safer null handling by encapsulating potentially absent values, reducing NullPointerExceptions in codebases. Additionally, the java.time package delivered a modern, immutable date and time API, replacing the problematic java.util.Date and Calendar with classes like LocalDateTime and ZonedDateTime for robust temporal computations. Other notable additions included the Nashorn JavaScript engine, which succeeded Rhino for embedding scripting in Java applications with improved performance via the invokedynamic instruction. Type annotations extended the annotation facility to any type occurrence, supporting advanced tools like pluggable type checkers. On the performance front, the HotSpot JVM removed the Permanent Generation (PermGen) space, replacing it with Metaspace, which uses native memory and dynamically resizes to prevent OutOfMemoryErrors during class loading, particularly beneficial with lambda expressions generating synthetic classes. Java SE 8's adoption was widespread and enduring, becoming the dominant version in enterprise environments for over a decade due to its stability and feature set. By 2025, while newer LTS versions like Java 17 and 21 had become the most widely adopted according to surveys, Java 8 remained widely used in production systems. 's extended support, including security updates until at least December 2030, ensured its viability for critical applications.

Java SE 9

Java SE 9 was released on September 21, 2017, as the first feature release under a new six-month cadence for the platform, incorporating nine targeted JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) without an official codename. This version marked a significant evolution in the Java ecosystem, primarily through the delivery of Project Jigsaw, which introduced the (JPMS) to modularize the JDK and enable better scalability for large applications. The modularization addressed long-standing challenges with the platform's monolithic structure, where the entire JDK was distributed as a single unit, leading to inefficiencies in deployment, maintenance, and security for modern, large-scale systems. At the core of Project Jigsaw is the module system, defined by JSR 376 and implemented via JEP 261, which provides a standard way to create, compile, and run modular applications. Modules are defined in a module-info.java file that specifies the module's name, dependencies (via requires directives), and exported packages (via exports directives), enforcing strong encapsulation to hide internal implementation details. The java.lang.Module class serves as the runtime representation of a module, allowing and control over module boundaries, while strong encapsulation prevents unauthorized access to non-exported packages, enhancing and reducing the risk of "JAR hell" in complex dependencies. This system allows developers to construct custom runtime images containing only necessary modules, significantly reducing the footprint for cloud and embedded deployments. For migration, the jdeps tool was enhanced to analyze dependencies in existing applications and libraries, identifying reliance on internal JDK APIs and suggesting modularization paths, though full compatibility required addressing illegal reflective access warnings introduced by strong encapsulation. Java SE 9 also introduced several developer tools and APIs to support modular development and modern practices. JShell, via , provides an official read-eval-print loop (REPL) tool for interactive experimentation with Java code snippets, integrated into the JDK as the jshell command and supported by the jdk.jshell for embedding in other tools. The client, incubated under in the jdk.incubator.http package, offers asynchronous, non-blocking support for and protocols, improving performance over legacy APIs like HttpURLConnection for high-throughput network applications. Multi-release JARs, defined in , enable libraries to include version-specific classes (e.g., in META-INF/versions/9/ for Java 9+ features) while maintaining on older runtimes, facilitating gradual adoption of new language capabilities. On the front, allows private methods in interfaces to share code among default and static methods without exposing implementation details, promoting cleaner designs in functional interfaces. Additionally, try-with-resources statements were enhanced ( extension) to directly use effectively final variables declared outside the try block, simplifying resource management without redundant declarations. The impact of SE 9 extended beyond features to fundamentally reshape the platform's evolution, breaking the monolithic JDK into 84 modules (e.g., java.base for core APIs) and paving the way for smaller, optimized distributions. This shift addressed scalability issues in large applications by enabling reliable configuration and reducing startup times, while the of a six-month release cycle—announced alongside the release—accelerated innovation and allowed non-LTS versions like 9 to focus on key advancements before stabilizing in subsequent LTS releases. Some features, such as the client, were later standardized and refined in Java SE 11.

Java SE 10

Java SE 10, released on March 20, 2018, marked the first non-long-term support (LTS) release following Java SE 9, adhering to the new six-month rapid release cycle established by the community. This version incorporated 12 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), focusing on enhancements to developer productivity, application performance, and runtime observability without introducing major structural changes like the module system from Java SE 9. Building briefly on Java SE 9's modular architecture, it emphasized refinements for usability and efficiency in everyday development. A key language improvement was the introduction of local-variable type inference via the reserved type name var, allowing developers to declare local variables without explicitly specifying the type when an initializer provides sufficient context for inference. This feature, detailed in JEP 286, applies to local variables with initializers, traditional for-loop indices, and enhanced for-loop indices, but not to method parameters, fields, or return types. For instance, code such as var list = new ArrayList<String>(); infers the type ArrayList<String> from the initializer, reducing verbosity while maintaining through the compiler. Analysis of code showed that approximately 87% of local variable declarations could benefit from var, promoting cleaner code without compromising readability or performance. On the API front, , implemented via JEP 310, extended the existing Class-Data Sharing mechanism to include application classes, enabling shared class metadata across multiple JVM instances for faster startup times and reduced . Developers can generate an AppCDS archive by dumping loaded classes and using JVM flags like -XX:SharedArchiveFile, which supports both built-in and custom class loaders. Benchmarks indicated improvements such as 20-30% faster startup for applications like JEdit and up to 18% lower RAM usage in scenarios involving multiple JVMs, such as embedded systems or Java EE servers. Garbage collection saw significant refinement with JEP 307, which unified the G1 collector as the default and parallelized its full garbage collection phase to mitigate worst-case latencies. Previously single-threaded, the full GC now uses multiple threads matching those in young and mixed collections, configurable via -XX:ParallelGCThreads, enhancing throughput in latency-sensitive environments. Tooling updates included the removal of launch-time JRE version selection (JEP 231), eliminating the Java Launch Barrier Protocol (JLBP) that previously allowed dynamic JRE switching at runtime, simplifying deployment by relying on explicit version management. Additionally, JEP 322 introduced time-based release versioning, adopting a scheme like "10.0.2+13" to reflect release cadence, build numbers, and timestamps for clearer tracking of updates. These changes, combined with enhancements to monitoring and logging, underscored an emphasis on , aiding developers in diagnosing issues more effectively in production environments.

Java SE 11

Java SE 11, the first long-term support (LTS) release following the introduction of the module system in Java 9, was released on September 25, 2018, and incorporated 17 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs). As an LTS version, it receives extended support and updates from Oracle, including security patches and performance improvements, with premier support planned until at least September 2026. This release emphasized stabilization and standardization of features incubated in prior versions, while removing obsolete components to streamline the platform for modern development. A key API standardization in Java SE 11 is the HTTP Client, now part of the java.net.http package following JEP 321, which provides a modern, non-blocking implementation supporting both HTTP/1.1 and protocols for building robust client applications. Another notable addition is the Epsilon garbage collector (JEP 318), an experimental no-op GC designed for short-lived applications or scenarios requiring minimal latency, where it allocates memory but performs no reclamation, allowing the JVM to exit gracefully upon heap exhaustion. The language saw no major new features, with efforts instead focused on deprecations to encourage migration from legacy scripting. Notably, the Nashorn JavaScript engine and its APIs were deprecated for removal (JEP 335), signaling the end of built-in JavaScript support in the JDK due to maintenance challenges and the rise of alternative engines like GraalVM. Performance enhancements included improvements to Class Data Sharing (CDS), enabling better support for modular applications by allowing shared archives to handle module paths more efficiently, reducing startup times in environments with complex class loading. Additionally, Java Flight Recorder (JFR) was made freely available (JEP 328), opening its low-overhead profiling and diagnostics capabilities to all users without commercial licensing restrictions, facilitating easier monitoring of production applications. Security updates featured initial support for TLS 1.3 (JEP 332), enhancing protocol security with improved cipher suites and handshake efficiency, though DSA signatures remain unsupported in this version to align with modern cryptographic standards. On the platform side, Java SE 11 marked the removal of the Applet API and related deployment technologies, including the Java Plug-in and , as browsers had phased out plugin support, rendering applets obsolete and eliminating associated security vulnerabilities. As the first LTS release after the modularization efforts, it solidified the platform's transition to a more secure, lightweight runtime suitable for cloud-native and containerized deployments.

Java SE 12

Java SE 12, released on March 19, 2019, served as the of the 12, as defined by JSR 386 through the . This non-LTS release incorporated eight JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), emphasizing experimental features, performance improvements, and refinements to the (JVM). It built on the six-month release cadence established in prior versions, focusing on preview capabilities to gather developer feedback before stabilization in subsequent releases. A prominent language enhancement was the introduction of switch expressions as a preview feature via JEP 325. Unlike traditional switch statements, which are limited to , switch expressions allow the construct to produce a value, enabling more expressive and concise code for multi-way branching. The feature supports arrow syntax (->) for case labels, which simplifies case bodies by eliminating the need for break statements and fall-through prevention. Additionally, the yield keyword is used to specify the value returned from a case, treating the switch as an expression assignable to a variable. For example:

java

int day = switch (month) { case 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12 -> 31; case 4, 6, 9, 11 -> 30; case 2 -> 28; default -> throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid month: " + month); };

int day = switch (month) { case 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12 -> 31; case 4, 6, 9, 11 -> 30; case 2 -> 28; default -> throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid month: " + month); };

This preview aimed to reduce boilerplate in scenarios, such as when processing collections or handling enumerated values, with full implementation but subject to change based on usage feedback. On the front, Java SE 12 enhanced collection processing through updates to the Stream , including the new Collectors.teeing method, which enables applying two separate collectors to the same stream elements and merging their results via a . This facilitates advanced aggregation patterns, such as computing running statistics or dual transformations on data streams, without intermediate collections. Complementing these, the provided convenience factory methods like List.of() and Set.of() for creating compact, immutable collections, promoting safer and more efficient data initialization in applications. Performance tooling saw significant advancements with JEP 230, integrating a microbenchmark suite based on the Java Microbenchmark Harness (JMH) directly into the JDK. This addition offers built-in tests and guidelines for evaluating JVM and library performance, helping developers identify bottlenecks and validate optimizations through reproducible benchmarks. In garbage collection, JEP 189 delivered an experimental implementation of the Shenandoah low-pause-time collector, designed for minimal application stop-the-world pauses during concurrent operations, particularly beneficial for large-heap environments. The release also streamlined tools by removing deprecated elements, such as finalize methods in key I/O classes like FileInputStream and FileOutputStream, to encourage modern resource management practices via try-with-resources.

Java SE 13

Java SE 13, released on September 17, 2019, represents a non-LTS version in Oracle's six-month release cadence for the (SE). It incorporates five JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), focusing on language enhancements, performance optimizations, and tool improvements to boost developer productivity and application efficiency. This release builds on previews from prior versions, refining features for better usability while maintaining for existing Java applications. A key language update in Java SE 13 is the second preview of switch expressions via JEP 354, which extends the switch statement to function as an expression, allowing it to yield a value and support exhaustive handling of cases. This enables more concise code for scenarios like mapping enums to strings or handling multiple conditions, with the addition of the yield keyword to return values from switch branches. Complementing this, JEP 355 introduces text blocks in preview, providing multi-line string literals that eliminate the need for escape sequences and concatenation, simplifying the representation of formatted text such as HTML, JSON, or SQL queries. For example, a text block can be written as """ multi-line content """, automatically handling incidental whitespace for readability. These previews were refined based on community feedback, with further maturation planned for subsequent releases. On the API front, JEP 353 reimplements the legacy Socket API using the NIO SocketImpl framework, improving maintainability and performance by aligning it with modern networking abstractions without altering the public API surface. This change supports better integration with non-blocking I/O operations, reducing the maintenance burden of the outdated implementation. Performance enhancements include JEP 351, which adds support for uncommitting unused memory in the Z Garbage Collector (ZGC), a low-pause collector designed for multi-terabyte heaps. This feature dynamically releases committed but unused heap memory back to the operating system, reducing the application's overall memory footprint while preserving ZGC's sub-millisecond pause times for latency-sensitive applications. Additionally, the maximum supported heap size for ZGC was increased to 16 terabytes, enabling its use in large-scale enterprise environments. Tooling improvements come from JEP 350, introducing dynamic class data sharing (CDS) archives that can be generated at JVM exit and shared across multiple JVM instances. This enhances application startup times by up to 20% in some cases, particularly for modular applications, and integrates with build tools like jlink for creating optimized runtime images. Regarding deprecations, Java SE 13 marks several APIs and options for potential removal, including the rmic tool (used for RMI stub generation), the -Xverify:none and -noverify JVM options, and the javax.security.cert package, reflecting a shift toward more secure and modern alternatives. Removals include legacy system properties like awt.toolkit, experimental VM options such as -XX:+AggressiveOpts, and outdated packages like com.sun.net.ssl, streamlining the platform by eliminating long-deprecated elements.

Java SE 14

Java SE 14, released on March 17, 2020, marked the fourteenth feature release of the SE Platform under the six-month cadence established since Java SE 9. This version incorporated 16 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), emphasizing enhancements to language expressiveness, garbage collection scalability, and interoperability with native memory. As an open-source reference implementation specified by JSR 389 in the , it provided production-ready binaries from and other vendors. Key language innovations in Java SE 14 focused on preview features for data modeling and to simplify common programming tasks. (JEP 359, Preview) introduced a compact syntax for declaring immutable data carrier classes, automatically generating constructors, accessors, equals, hashCode, and toString methods, thereby reducing boilerplate for data classes. for instanceof (JEP 305, Preview) allowed developers to test an object's type and extract its components in a single expression, streamlining code for type checks and deconstruction. Additionally, helpful NullPointerExceptions (JEP 358) enhanced error messages by indicating which variable or expression caused the null reference, aiding without altering runtime performance. Switch expressions (JEP 361) were standardized, building on their preview in prior releases to support exhaustive, expression-oriented branching. On the API front, the (JEP 370, Incubator) provided an initial framework for safe, efficient access to outside the Java heap, laying groundwork for Project Panama's broader foreign function and integration goals. Garbage collection advancements included experimental support for ZGC on macOS (JEP 364) and Windows (JEP 365), extending its low-latency, concurrent operation to additional platforms; ZGC also gained parallel heap pre-touching for faster startup on large heaps via multi-threaded initialization. Tooling changes deprecated the Solaris and ports (JEP 362) to streamline maintenance, while removing the obsolete Concurrent Mark Sweep garbage collector (JEP 363) and Pack200 tools (JEP 367) cleaned up legacy components. Released amid the early stages of the , Java SE 14 prioritized developer productivity through expressive language constructs, supporting and innovation in constrained environments. Text blocks entered a second preview (JEP 368), refining multi-line string literals for future standardization.

Java SE 15

Java SE 15, released on September 15, 2020, serves as the open-source of the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) 15, as defined by JSR 390 under the . This version incorporated 14 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), focusing on language enhancements for better expressiveness, improvements for dynamic code generation, performance optimizations in garbage collection, and security-related encapsulations. The release emphasized maturing preview features from prior versions while introducing production-ready capabilities to support modern application development. A major language update was the finalization of text blocks through JEP 378, enabling developers to define multi-line string literals without manual escaping of line terminators or quotes, resulting in more readable and maintainable code for tasks like , , or SQL embedding. Text blocks automatically determine line breaks and incidental whitespace, with explicit control via escape sequences when needed, significantly reducing boilerplate compared to concatenated strings. Building briefly on previews from Java SE 14, this feature addresses long-standing requests for concise multi-line text handling in the Java language. Sealed classes arrived as a preview feature via JEP 360, allowing classes and interfaces to explicitly control by permitting or forbidding extensions and implementations, which restricts class hierarchies to predefined types. This mechanism enhances design intent enforcement, efficiency, and security by preventing unintended subclassing, particularly useful in modeling finite domain types like algebraic data types or state machines. Developers can enable this preview with flags like --enable-preview, paving the way for more robust designs in libraries and frameworks. On the API front, introduced hidden classes, which are runtime-generated classes not discoverable by the ClassLoader , featuring names with a "/" slash to distinguish them and lacking nest membership. These classes support advanced use cases such as dynamic proxies, lambda expressions, and bytecode manipulation libraries (e.g., by ASM or Javassist), offering better performance through reduced reflection overhead and improved isolation without exposing internal structures. Performance advancements included JEP 379, which promoted the Shenandoah garbage collector to production status, enabling its use via the -XX:+UseShenandoahGC flag for applications demanding low-latency behavior. Shenandoah performs concurrent collections with bounded pause times, typically under 10ms even for large heaps, making it suitable for real-time systems and high-throughput servers by minimizing stop-the-world phases during evacuation and updating. This finalization followed incubators in earlier releases, providing an alternative to ZGC for pause-sensitive workloads. Security enhancements featured JEP 396, which strongly encapsulates most JDK internal elements by default to block illegal reflective access, configurable with flags like --illegal-access=permit for gradual migration. This change aligns with Project Jigsaw's modularity goals, reducing attack surfaces from untrusted code while allowing legacy applications to opt out temporarily, thereby improving overall platform integrity without breaking existing deployments.

Java SE 16

Java SE 16 was released on March 16, 2021, as a non-long-term support version of the Java Platform, Standard Edition, incorporating 17 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) that advanced language features, APIs, garbage collection, and platform support. This release built on prior previews by finalizing key language constructs for data modeling and type checking, while introducing incubating APIs for performance-critical operations and enhancing low-latency garbage collection. It also expanded portability to new architectures and distributions, signaling ongoing evolution toward broader ecosystem compatibility. A major language enhancement in Java SE 16 was the finalization of via JEP 395, which introduced a new class type designed as transparent carriers for immutable data. reduce boilerplate for modeling plain data aggregates by automatically providing constructors, accessors, equals, hashCode, and toString methods based on their components, promoting concise and readable code for value-based types. Complementing this, JEP 394 finalized for the instanceof operator, allowing developers to test an object's type and extract its components in a single expression without explicit casting. For instance, code like if (obj instanceof [String](/page/String) s) { return s.length(); } combines type checking and variable binding, streamlining conditional logic in scenarios involving polymorphism or data deconstruction. On the API front, Java SE 16 advanced the Vector API through its third incubation in JEP 338, enabling developers to express vector computations that compile to optimal SIMD instructions on supported hardware, such as for numerical simulations or workloads. This incubating feature provides a platform-agnostic way to leverage vectorization, with species-based operations ensuring portability across CPU architectures. Additionally, JEP 389 introduced the Foreign Linker API in incubator status, offering a statically typed, pure-Java mechanism to call native code without JNI overhead, paired with JEP 393's Foreign-Memory Access API (third incubator) for safe manipulation of off-heap memory. These APIs aim to bridge Java with native libraries efficiently, reducing reliance on unsafe operations. Garbage collection saw refinements in Java SE 16, including improvements to the G1 collector for concurrent memory uncommit, which allows unused heap regions to be returned to the operating system more promptly during concurrent phases, reducing the application's overall memory footprint without full GC pauses. For ZGC, JEP 376 implemented concurrent thread-stack processing, moving stack scanning from safepoints to a concurrent phase, resulting in sub-millisecond pause times independent of heap size, live set, or root set scale—ideal for latency-sensitive applications like real-time systems. Tooling and platform support expanded with JEP 386, porting the JDK to and other musl-based distributions on x64 and architectures, enabling lightweight deployments in containerized environments like Docker where glibc alternatives are preferred for smaller image sizes. JEP 388 added support for Windows on , facilitating native execution on ARM-based Windows systems. Early builds for macOS/ were available through community efforts, paving the way for official integration in subsequent releases. The jpackage tool, via 392, was promoted to production-ready status, allowing creation of self-contained application images for easier distribution across platforms. Deprecations in Java SE 16 included hints toward future removals, such as terminal deprecation warnings for value-based classes under 390 to discourage identity-based operations, and strong encapsulation of JDK internals by default via 396, which exposes fewer internal elements unless explicitly allowed with --add-exports. While the Security Manager itself was not yet deprecated, related legacy APIs like ThreadGroup stop and destroy methods were marked for removal, signaling a shift away from outdated security models in favor of modern alternatives like modules and capabilities.

Java SE 17

Java SE 17, released on September 14, 2021, marked the eighth LTS release in the six-month cadence, providing with premier updates until September 2026 and extended support until September 2029. This version incorporated 14 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), focusing on enhancements, improvements, performance optimizations, and security fortifications to support modern application development. As an LTS, it emphasized stability for production environments, building on prior releases by finalizing key features while introducing previews for emerging capabilities. In terms of language updates, Java SE 17 finalized sealed classes via , allowing developers to restrict which classes or interfaces can extend or implement a given class or interface, thereby enhancing modularity and design control. for switch was introduced as a preview feature through , enabling more expressive and concise switch statements by allowing patterns in case labels, which reduces in type testing scenarios. These changes promote safer and more maintainable codebases, particularly in object-oriented designs. API advancements included the second incubation of the Vector API under , which provides a platform-agnostic way to express vector computations that leverage SIMD instructions on supported hardware, improving performance for data-parallel tasks like matrix operations without relying on JNI. The entered incubation via , offering a safer alternative to JNI for native code interoperation and off-heap memory management, with features like memory segments and linkers to handle foreign calls efficiently. Other API additions encompassed enhanced pseudo-random number generators () and context-specific deserialization filters () to mitigate security risks in object deserialization. Performance improvements featured a new macOS rendering pipeline implemented with Apple's Metal API (JEP 382), replacing the deprecated OpenGL-based pipeline to boost graphics rendering efficiency and reliability on Apple Silicon. Strong encapsulation of JDK internals advanced through JEP 403 by removing nine internal APIs and making 32 modules non-exported, enforcing modular boundaries for better security and maintainability. On the security front, JEP 407 removed the RMI Activation mechanism, which had been deprecated and posed vulnerabilities, while default disabling of SHA-1 support for JAR and XML signatures further hardened the platform against attacks. As a widely adopted LTS release, Java SE 17 has become a for cloud-native and enterprise applications, with its stability and feature set driving upgrades from earlier versions like Java 11, supported by ongoing updates into 2025 and beyond.

2020s versions

Java SE 18

Java SE 18, released on March 22, 2022, represents a non-LTS version of the , incorporating nine JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) focused on enhancing core libraries, tools, and performance without introducing major language changes. This release emphasizes practical utilities for developers, including standardized APIs for web serving and , alongside improvements to garbage collection and documentation tools. As part of the six-month release cadence established since Java SE 9, it builds incrementally toward future enhancements in concurrency and interoperation. A key API addition is the standardization of the Simple Web Server tool via JEP 408, which provides a command-line utility (jwebserver) for launching an to serve static files or handle simple dynamic content, making it easier to prototype web applications without external dependencies. Complementing this, JEP 400 establishes as the default for the Java platform when the file.encoding property is unset or set to "COMPAT", promoting consistency in file I/O and string handling across internationalized applications and reducing encoding-related bugs. Additionally, enhancements to deserialization address a specific issue where serialized method references to Object methods previously failed due to type mismatches during reconstruction, now allowing correct deserialization in expressions and method handles (JDK-8282080). On the performance front, Java SE 18 deprecates and effectively drops support for the 32-bit client JVM on Windows, retaining only the server VM to streamline and align with modern hardware trends, as the client VM has been obsolete since JDK 9. For garbage collection, the G1 collector receives optimizations via JDK-8275056, extending maximum heap region sizes from 32 MB to 512 MB, which better supports large-page memory allocations on systems with huge pages enabled, improving throughput for large-heap applications without increasing pause times. Tooling improvements include JEP 413, which introduces the @snippet tag for , enabling developers to embed executable code examples directly in API documentation, with automatic and compilation checks to ensure accuracy and usability in generated docs. Other JEPs in this release, such as 416 for reimplementing core reflection with method handles and 417 for the third incubation of the , further refine foundational libraries, though they remain in preview or incubator stages. Overall, Java SE 18 prioritizes reliability and developer productivity in non-concurrency areas, serving as a stable interim update.

Java SE 19

Java SE 19, released on September 20, 2022, is a non-long-term support (non-LTS) version of the Standard Edition platform, featuring seven JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) that emphasize advancements in language expressiveness, concurrency models, and performance optimization. As a six-month release, it builds on prior previews to introduce experimental capabilities aimed at simplifying concurrent programming and enhancing developer productivity, while delivering thousands of bug fixes, performance enhancements, and security updates across the platform. Key themes include expansions to in the language and initial previews of lightweight concurrency from Project Loom, positioning Java for high-throughput applications without traditional thread limitations. In terms of language features, Java SE 19 introduces record patterns as a preview feature via JEP 405, allowing developers to deconstruct record instances directly within expressions for more concise data handling. This builds on from earlier versions by enabling nested patterns, such as case Point(int x, int y) -> ..., which reduces boilerplate in switch statements and instanceof checks. Additionally, advances to its third preview under JEP 427, extending switch expressions to handle type patterns, guarded patterns, and null handling more elegantly than prior previews in Java 17 and 18. These enhancements promote safer, more readable code for handling complex data structures, with examples like matching on sealed classes or to route logic based on shape and content. On the API front, Java SE 19 previews virtual threads through JEP 425 as part of Project Loom, introducing millions-scale lightweight threads that are cheap to create and schedule, addressing the scalability issues of platform threads in high-concurrency scenarios. Virtual threads enable straightforward asynchronous programming without callbacks or reactive frameworks, as they can block efficiently on I/O without consuming OS resources—for instance, a simple Thread.ofVirtual().start(() -> { ... }) can spawn tasks that perform blocking operations like database calls. Complementing this, structured concurrency enters incubator status with JEP 428, providing APIs to organize concurrent operations as a tree of scoped tasks, ensuring that child tasks complete or fail together to prevent resource leaks and simplify error handling. These Loom features laid the groundwork for further maturation in Java SE 20 and 21, where virtual threads graduated from preview. For performance-oriented tools, the Vector API reaches its fourth incubator phase via JEP 426, offering a platform-agnostic way to express vector computations that map efficiently to SIMD hardware instructions, yielding significant speedups for numerical workloads like matrix operations or image processing. Developers can use species-specific vectors, such as FloatVector.fromArray(species, array, offset), to perform bulk operations with auto-vectorization, improving throughput on modern CPUs while remaining portable across architectures. Other notable JEPs include the preview of the Foreign Function & Memory API (JEP 424), which simplifies interaction with native code and off-heap memory for better integration with libraries like those in C or , and the production-ready Linux/RISC-V Port (JEP 422), extending Java support to the emerging architecture for embedded and cloud environments. Overall, Java SE 19 advances Java's ecosystem toward more efficient, concurrent, and versatile development paradigms.

Java SE 20

Java SE 20 was released on March 21, 2023, as a non-long-term support (non-LTS) version of the (SE), featuring seven JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) that advanced ongoing initiatives in language expressiveness, concurrency, and performance. This release built on prior previews by refining features for and concurrency models, while introducing incubator modules to explore immutable data sharing and structured task handling, paving the way for stabilization in subsequent versions leading to the Java SE 21 LTS. In terms of language enhancements, Java SE 20 included the second preview of record patterns (JEP 432), which enable the deconstruction of record instances in contexts, such as if statements and switch expressions, to simplify data processing without explicit accessor calls. Complementing this, for switch entered its fourth preview (JEP 433), allowing switch labels to use type patterns and guarded patterns for more concise and type-safe handling of complex data structures, reducing in scenarios like API deserialization or event processing. These previews continued the evolution of Project Amber, emphasizing readable and maintainable code for modern application development. On the API front, were introduced in incubator status ( 429), providing a mechanism to share immutable values efficiently across method calls and threads without the overhead of thread-local variables, ideal for context propagation in concurrent environments like web servers. advanced to their second preview ( 436), offering lightweight, platform-managed threads that scale to millions without traditional OS thread mapping, enhancing concurrency for high-throughput applications. also reached its second incubator phase ( 437), enabling developers to define concurrent task hierarchies as a single unit of work, with automatic propagation of completion and cancellation to improve reliability in asynchronous operations. Performance improvements in Java SE 20 focused on hardware intrinsics, including support for Poly1305 and ChaCha20 cryptographic operations on and architectures using and SIMD instructions, accelerating in security-sensitive workloads. Tools received updates such as a new compression option for the jmod tool to reduce module sizes in deployments. Regarding deprecations, the security manager was marked for final removal, signaling its obsolescence in favor of modern security frameworks like Java and policy-based controls, with applications encouraged to migrate accordingly.

Java SE 21

Java SE 21, released on September 19, 2023, is a (LTS) version of the , providing extended support through at least September 2028 for Oracle JDK users and similar timelines from other vendors like Microsoft. This release incorporates 15 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), finalizing several key features from previews in prior versions while introducing new previews to enhance developer productivity and application scalability. As the current LTS in 2025, it receives ongoing security updates and bug fixes, making it a stable choice for production environments. Key language enhancements include the finalization of pattern matching for switch (JEP 441), which extends switch statements and expressions to support patterns on any type, enabling more expressive and concise code for handling complex data structures without explicit type checks or casting. Additionally, string templates enter preview status (JEP 430), allowing developers to embed expressions within strings using a concise syntax like STR."Hello, \{name}!", which improves readability and reduces boilerplate compared to traditional string concatenation or formatting methods. Record patterns are also finalized (JEP 440), permitting nested patterns in deconstruction for records, which facilitates declarative data navigation and processing in scenarios like data validation or serialization. In terms of APIs, virtual threads are finalized (JEP 444), delivering lightweight, platform-managed threads that vastly increase concurrency scalability for high-throughput applications by minimizing the overhead of traditional OS threads—potentially supporting millions of threads without performance degradation. Sequenced collections introduce a new interface (JEP 431) for ordered collections like lists and deques, providing uniform methods for first/last elements and reversal, which standardizes iteration and enhances interoperability across collection types. On the performance front, generational ZGC (JEP 439) becomes production-ready, optimizing the Z Garbage Collector with separate young and old generation management to reduce pause times and improve throughput in low-latency applications, achieving sub-millisecond pauses even for multi-gigabyte heaps. For security, the (KEM) API is added (JEP 452), offering standardized support for primitives to protect against future threats in protocols. Several deprecations target legacy constructs, such as the Windows 32-bit x86 port (JEP 449), aimed at removal to streamline maintenance and focus resources on modern architectures. Overall, Java SE 21 significantly impacts scalable, concurrent applications by productionizing virtual threads and , fostering adoption in cloud-native and environments with its LTS stability.

Java SE 22

Java SE 22, released on March 19, 2024, is a non-LTS feature release of the , incorporating 12 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) that introduce preview features for interoperability, concurrency, and language simplification while enhancing performance and tools. This version builds on Java SE 21's introduction of virtual threads by previewing to better manage task hierarchies. In terms of language changes, Java SE 22 includes no major finalized updates but advances several previews, notably enhancements to implicitly declared classes and instance main methods (second preview, JEP 463), which allow beginners to write simple programs without explicit class declarations, promoting easier onboarding while maintaining compatibility with advanced features. Other language previews include statements before super(...) calls (first preview, JEP 447) for more flexible constructor bodies and string templates (second preview, JEP 459) for concise string interpolation; additionally, unnamed variables and patterns (JEP 456) reach finalization, reducing boilerplate in code. Key API additions focus on interoperability and concurrency: the Foreign Function & Memory API (preview, JEP 454) enables safe, efficient interaction with native code and off-heap memory, addressing performance bottlenecks in foreign library calls without relying on JNI. Structured concurrency (second preview, JEP 462) introduces a structured approach to concurrent programming, using scopes to handle task groups as single units, simplifying error propagation and cancellation while leveraging virtual threads. For performance, JEP 423 implements region pinning in the G1 garbage collector, allowing certain heap regions to be excluded from collection cycles to reduce latency in large-scale applications; notably, completely removing garbage collection remains a non-goal, preserving Java's managed memory model. The release also incubates tools like the Class-File API (preview, JEP 457), providing a standard way to read and write class files for advanced manipulation and analysis. Deprecations include several sun.misc.Unsafe methods (e.g., park and unpark) and the -Xnoagent option, signaling future removals for security and simplification; changes to the Windows x64 port involve updated build configurations and compatibility adjustments, though no major removals occurred.

Java SE 23

Java SE 23, released on September 17, 2024, represents the twenty-third standard edition of the Java Platform and the ninth release under the six-month cadence established since Java SE 9. This non-LTS version incorporates 12 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), focusing on preview features for language evolution, concurrency improvements, and tool enhancements while building on prior advancements in virtual threads from Java SE 21. The release emphasizes reliable concurrent programming through structured approaches and extends capabilities, alongside security bolstering and modular development aids. Production-ready binaries are available from and contributors, with support extending until March 2025. A key language feature is JEP 455: Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch (Preview), which advances pattern matching—previously finalized for switch expressions in Java SE 21—by enabling primitive types (such as int, double, and ) in pattern contexts. This allows developers to use type patterns directly with primitives in instanceof checks and switch statements, reducing boilerplate and improving expressiveness for handling primitive data without explicit boxing or unboxing. For example, a switch on an int variable can now match against primitive patterns like case Integer i -> ..., promoting consistency across reference and primitive types in deconstructive code. This fourth iteration of pattern matching refinements for switch underscores ongoing efforts under Project Amber to make the more concise for data-oriented programming. In the API domain, JEP 480: Structured Concurrency (Third Preview) introduces an under Project Loom to manage groups of related subtasks executed in separate threads as a unified unit of work, enhancing reliability and error propagation in concurrent applications. The uses classes like StructuredTaskScope to fork subtasks, join their results, and handle failures collectively, integrating seamlessly with virtual threads to scale high-throughput services without unstructured thread management pitfalls. This preview iteration refines prior designs from Java SE 21 and 22, mandating structured completion for better observability and cancellation, and pairs with virtual threads—which became final in Java SE 21—to enforce safer concurrency patterns in thread factories and executors by default. Complementing this, JEP 481: Scoped Values (Third Preview) provides immutable data sharing across method calls and child threads, further supporting virtual thread-based designs. Performance enhancements include defaulting ZGC to generational mode via , reducing latency for low-pause garbage collection in large heaps. For diagnostics, JDK (JFR) receives incremental improvements in event recording, though no dedicated method profiling is targeted here; users can leverage existing JFR sampling for method-level insights. On security, the SunJCE provider adds support for SHA-3-based algorithms (e.g., HmacSHA3-256), while SUN, SunRsaSign, and SunEC providers enable SHA-3-based digital signatures like SHA3-256withRSA, aligning with NIST standards for stronger hashing in cryptographic operations. Tools see JEP 476: Module Import Declarations (Preview), simplifying modular code by allowing a single module M; statement to access all public packages from module M, reducing import verbosity in multi-module projects—especially useful for implicitly declared classes under JEP 477. This preview targets beginner-friendly and exploratory coding, automatically importing java.base where needed. Additionally, JEP 467 finalizes support for comments, enabling simpler documentation authoring without tags. These changes collectively advance Java's ecosystem toward more maintainable, scalable applications, previewing paths to future finalizations like gatherers in Java SE 24.

Java SE 24

Java SE 24, released on March 18, 2025, represents the twenty-fourth feature release of the Java SE platform and includes twenty-four JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) that introduce new features, enhancements, and previews to improve language expressiveness, API usability, performance, and developer productivity. This non-LTS release builds on prior versions by finalizing key stream operations and advancing capabilities, while introducing experimental garbage collection optimizations. In the language domain, Java SE 24 previews support for primitive types in pattern matching, instanceof, and switch expressions, allowing developers to use primitive types like int and double directly in pattern contexts without boxing to reference types such as . This second preview (JEP 488) simplifies code by eliminating unnecessary conversions and enabling more efficient handling of primitive data in modern pattern-based constructs. These previews mature pattern matching as a core language feature, reducing boilerplate compared to traditional type checks. On the API front, Gatherers (JEP 485) are finalized as a standard feature, extending the API introduced in Java 8 by allowing custom intermediate operations that can transform streams in flexible ways, such as folding or scanning elements while maintaining laziness and short-circuiting. This enhancement supports more expressive functional-style data processing, for instance, by enabling operations like running sums or stateful aggregations without resorting to external libraries. Module Import Declarations enter their second preview ( 476), introducing a concise syntax—import module M;—to import all public classes and interfaces from an entire module on demand, streamlining modular code in large projects while avoiding name conflicts through qualified access. Performance improvements include advancements in concurrent compacting garbage collection, particularly through the experimental Generational Shenandoah (JEP 404), which performs most collection work, including compaction, concurrently with application threads to minimize pause times in low-latency environments. This builds on Shenandoah's design to reduce fragmentation and improve throughput for generational heaps. In tools, Flexible Constructor Bodies (JEP 492) appear in third preview, permitting statements before explicit super() or this() calls in constructors—termed a ""—to validate or transform arguments, provided they do not access the instance state, thus enabling cleaner initialization logic without auxiliary methods. Overall, Java SE 24 enhances functional and pattern handling, providing tools that evolve Java's expressiveness for modern applications while paving the way for the LTS release in Java SE 25.

Java SE 25

Java SE 25, released on September 16, 2025, is a (LTS) version of the (SE), featuring 18 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) that enhance language expressiveness, API usability, performance monitoring, and security. As the successor to Java SE 21 in the LTS lineage, it provides extended support including quarterly updates until at least September 2028 under Oracle's No-Fee Terms and Conditions. This release emphasizes developer productivity by reducing in common scenarios, such as constructor initialization and module imports, while introducing tools for faster application startup and more precise profiling. Key language improvements include the finalization of flexible constructor bodies (JEP 513), which allow statements like input validation or field initialization to precede explicit constructor calls to super() or this(), enabling safer and more concise object construction without workarounds like static factory methods. Additionally, compact source files and instance main methods (JEP 512) are finalized, permitting single-file programs without explicit class declarations or the traditional public static void main ; instead, an instance main method can serve as the entry point, with the JVM implicitly creating an object instance, which simplifies introductory programming and reduces verbosity for simple applications. These features collectively lower the entry barrier for new developers while maintaining compatibility with existing codebases. On the API front, module import declarations (JEP 511) are now a standard feature, allowing a single import module M; statement to automatically import all public top-level classes and interfaces from the exported packages of module M, with java.base auto-imported by default in non-modular contexts to streamline access to core APIs without numerous individual imports. For performance optimization, ahead-of-time (AOT) command-line ergonomics (JEP 514) simplify the creation of AOT caches to accelerate application startup, introducing intuitive flags like -XX:AOTCache=... for generating and loading precomputed data without complex multi-phase processes. These enhancements build on Project Leyden's goals to reduce JVM initialization overhead. Performance monitoring sees advancements in JDK Flight Recorder (JFR) with experimental CPU-time profiling (JEP 509), which provides more accurate attribution of CPU usage to threads on by leveraging kernel timers, distinguishing between Java, native, and kernel time for better bottleneck identification. Complementing this, JFR cooperative sampling (JEP 518) redesigns thread stack sampling to occur only at safepoints, avoiding asynchronous interruptions and reducing overhead while improving stability and accuracy in production environments. Security updates in Java SE 25 adapt to evolving operating system and cryptographic standards, including new algorithms like SHAKE128-256 and HKDF-SHA variants in the Sun provider, enhanced TLS keying material exporters, and default disabling of in TLS/DTLS 1.2 handshakes to mitigate known vulnerabilities. The release incorporates hundreds of bug fixes and security patches across the platform, addressing vulnerabilities in core libraries, networking, and the JVM, as detailed in Oracle's Critical Patch Update for October 2025. As of November 2025, Java SE 25 remains the current LTS release, with update 25.0.1 issued on October 21, 2025, delivering additional stability and security refinements.

Future developments

Java SE 26

Java SE 26 is the planned non-LTS feature release of the (SE), scheduled for general availability on March 17, 2026. As of November 2025, development is in the ramp-up phase, with early-access builds available starting in late 2025 to gather community feedback through the project. This release follows the six-month cadence established since JDK 9 and will receive updates for six months until succeeded by Java SE 27. The release targets approximately 10 JEPs, emphasizing enhancements in , concurrency, performance, and API modernizations. Key among these is JEP 530, which extends to primitive types in instanceof and switch constructs for the fourth preview, building on prior iterations to improve expressiveness in handling primitive data without . JEP 525 continues the evolution of with a sixth preview, treating groups of related tasks as a single unit to simplify error handling and cancellation in concurrent programming. Performance improvements include JEP 522, which reduces synchronization overhead in the G1 garbage collector to boost throughput in high-load scenarios, and JEP 516, enabling ahead-of-time object caching compatible with any garbage collector to accelerate application startup times. Additional JEPs address API refinements and removals, such as incubating the for the eleventh time to optimize SIMD computations across hardware platforms, adding support to the HTTP Client for faster, more reliable web interactions, and fully removing the deprecated to streamline the platform by eliminating legacy browser integration features. Previews like for lazy constants and for PEM encodings of cryptographic objects further enhance flexibility in constant initialization and security object handling, respectively. prepares stricter enforcement of the final keyword, aligning semantics more closely with its intended immutability guarantees. These enhancements collectively aim to refine Java's productivity and efficiency without introducing major breaking changes.

Ongoing enhancements and JEPs

The Java Enhancement Proposal (JEP) process, standardized post-Java SE 9, facilitates the submission, , and integration of enhancements to the JDK through . Proposals are submitted by OpenJDK Committers via email to the dedicated , using a template, and progress through states such as Draft, Submitted, Candidate, Funded, Targeted (assigned to a specific release), and Completed. Targeted JEPs are scheduled for a particular JDK release, while Targeted+ indicates provisional targeting subject to further ; once integrated, they become part of the platform. This process ensures a structured roadmap, with the OpenJDK Lead making final decisions based on community consensus from Reviewers and Group Leads. Active development areas emphasize foundational improvements to the Java platform. Project Valhalla aims to augment the object model with value types and primitive classes, enabling more efficient handling of data without traditional object overhead, as seen in ongoing explorations of value objects for gains in numerical computing. Project Leyden focuses on ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation and application condensers to reduce startup time, peak latency, and , with prototypes demonstrating dynamic class loading optimizations. Extensions to Project Loom build on virtual threads by refining and continuations, supporting higher-throughput applications through lightweight threading models. The community supports experimental features via incubator modules, allowing developers to test and provide feedback on nascent APIs before standardization. For instance, the Vector API, in its eleventh incubator phase, enables platform-agnostic vector computations that leverage SIMD instructions for enhanced performance in data-parallel tasks. These modules are accessible in early-access builds, fostering iterative refinement based on real-world usage. Current trends in Java evolution prioritize performance optimizations, improved developer usability, and adaptations for cloud-native environments. Efforts include tighter integration hints with for polyglot capabilities and native image generation, reducing resource demands in containerized deployments while maintaining JVM compatibility. Usability enhancements streamline code expressiveness, simplifying initialization logic in complex hierarchies. Future work on generics, tied to Project Valhalla, explores universal generics to support primitive specialization, addressing longstanding limitations in type-safe collections. Governance of the JEP process has evolved to promote broader participation, with updates to OpenJDK guidelines emphasizing inclusive contribution paths for diverse developers, including sponsorship programs and tolerance for varying communication styles to build a global, collaborative community.

Implementations

OpenJDK

OpenJDK is the primary open-source reference implementation of the (Java SE), initiated by in November 2006 when initial portions of the JDK source code were released under the GNU General Public License version 2 with the Classpath exception. Following Oracle's acquisition of Sun in 2010, OpenJDK has been stewarded by Oracle in collaboration with a global community of contributors, ensuring its continued development as a free and open-source project. This initiative transformed Java into a more accessible platform, fostering widespread adoption and innovation beyond proprietary boundaries. The project is organized into a collection of focused groups and projects, including the core JDK project for building the Java Development Kit, HotSpot for the Java Virtual Machine implementation, and JAXP for Java API for XML Processing. Community coordination occurs through public mailing lists, such as those hosted at mail.openjdk.org for discussions on development and announcements, while sponsorship and stewardship are led by Oracle alongside active participation from organizations like IBM and Red Hat. Contributions are governed by a merit-based system, where individuals earn committer status after demonstrating sustained value through code reviews, fixes, or enhancements—typically requiring at least eight significant changes. Since Java SE 7, released in July 2011, has served as the official , producing builds for all subsequent versions through a structured process outlined in JEP 3, which includes feature-complete previews and six-month release cycles. Free production-ready binaries are provided for each release, enabling developers to access the latest Java SE features without cost. maintains a purely open-source codebase, while Oracle JDK builds upon it with potential build-time optimizations and different licensing. Since JDK 11, features like Java Flight Recorder are available in both. Backports of security fixes and enhancements are managed via dedicated update branches and the JDK Bug System (JBS) to support long-term stability. OpenJDK forms the foundational upstream source for the majority of Java distributions worldwide, ensuring full compatibility with the Java SE specification as verified through the (TCK). Its role extends to powering the JDK, which incorporates as its core while adding build optimizations.

Oracle JDK

Following the acquisition of by in January 2010, assumed stewardship of the (JDK), continuing its development and releasing subsequent versions under the JDK branding starting from mid-2010. This transition marked 's commitment to evolving Java as a core technology, integrating it into its broader enterprise ecosystem while maintaining compatibility with prior releases. Oracle JDK builds are closely aligned with the open-source project, serving as the for SE specifications, but incorporate Oracle-specific enhancements for enterprise use. Key features include the full Java Flight Recorder (JFR), a low-overhead profiling tool integrated into the JVM for diagnostic in production environments, and Java Mission Control, a suite for monitoring and managing applications. Notably, starting with JDK 11, previously commercial features like Java Flight Recorder and Java Mission Control were open-sourced and integrated into . Additionally, —a platform for rich client applications—was bundled with Oracle JDK up to version 11, after which it became available as a separate, open-source download via OpenJFX. These tools provide advanced capabilities like real-time event analysis and visualization, particularly useful for optimizing performance in large-scale deployments. Licensing for JDK has evolved to balance accessibility with commercial sustainability. It remains free for personal, development, and testing purposes under the Oracle Technology Network License Agreement. However, following the 2019 policy update, production or commercial use of updates beyond the initial six-month release window required a paid Java SE Universal Subscription. Starting with JDK 25 in September 2025, extended a no-fee license to all users, including commercial applications, to broaden adoption without subscription barriers for this and future LTS releases. Oracle provides tiered support options, with Premier Support offering comprehensive updates, bug fixes, and critical patches for (LTS) versions. For instance, 8 received Premier Support until March 2022, with Extended Support (fee-based) available until December 2030; 11 until September 2023, extending to January 2032; 17 until September 2026, to September 2029; 21 until September 2028, to September 2031; and 25 until September 2030, to September 2033. This structure ensures updates and technical assistance for enterprise users, with critical patches addressing vulnerabilities across supported releases. While Oracle JDK shares the same core codebase as OpenJDK, both include Java Flight Recorder (JFR) since JDK 11, with Oracle JDK offering commercial support options for advanced diagnostics, and potential JVM tuning options tailored for 's hardware and cloud environments. These additions aim to deliver superior performance in mission-critical scenarios, though the binaries remain highly compatible to minimize migration efforts. To support long-term, cost-free usage, Oracle recommends migrating applications to OpenJDK distributions, which provide ongoing updates under an without commercial restrictions. This guidance is particularly relevant for users beyond subscription terms, facilitating seamless transitions while preserving access to Java's evolving ecosystem.

Other distributions

Eclipse Adoptium, under the , provides Temurin builds of , which are rigorously tested against the Java SE (TCK) to ensure compliance with Java standards. These builds offer long-term free support for (LTS) releases, including continued availability of binaries for Java SE 8 until at least 2030, extending beyond Oracle's public updates. Temurin distributions are derived from and are widely adopted for their stability and cross-platform availability, supporting architectures like x64, , and others. Azul Systems' Zulu is a no-cost, TCK-certified distribution available for free use, with optional commercial support options for enterprise needs. Zulu is optimized for environments, providing enhancements for and reduced resource consumption in virtualized and containerized deployments. Additionally, Azul offers the Zing JVM as part of its platform, which includes advanced garbage collection and features to improve application responsiveness and lower costs by up to 20% in fleet-scale scenarios. Amazon Corretto, backed by AWS, is a production-ready, TCK-certified distribution that includes with performance enhancements and security fixes. It backports critical security patches to older LTS versions, such as Java SE 8 and 11, ensuring continued protection beyond standard end-of-life dates—for instance, support for Corretto 8 extends to at least May 2026. Corretto is particularly suited for AWS cloud workloads, with optimizations for Amazon's infrastructure. Other notable distributions include BellSoft Liberica, a TCK-certified OpenJDK build that includes full support in its "Full" variant, enabling seamless development of graphical applications without additional installations. 's build of OpenJDK provides enterprise-grade support with a minimum six-year lifecycle for major versions, focusing on integration with ecosystems. Machine, also TCK-compliant, offers optimized builds tailored for applications, emphasizing performance in stacks. These distributions serve purposes such as avoiding licensing fees associated with commercial Java offerings, providing architecture-specific optimizations like for ARM-based systems, and delivering extended end-of-life support to maintain security for legacy deployments. All pass the TCK for compatibility, and OpenJDK 8 forms the base for the (ART), underscoring their role in diverse ecosystems.

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