Java 17 new features

The newest long-term support release for the Java SE platform is Java 17 LTS. Under the Oracle No-Fee Terms and Conditions License, JDK 17 binaries are free to use in production and redistribute at no cost. LTS stands for long-term support. It will be available on September 15, 2021.

An Open LTS version of JDK17 is now available to create web and desktop applications. It includes development tools, a collection of libraries, a Java virtual machine, and other files. With each version, we observe new functions while keeping an eye on some of them being changed or removed. Without a monotonous perspective and periodic releases, it takes time to become acquainted with and grasp the operation of a newer one.

Introduction of the JDK17 New Features

all of us are crazy for significant changes in this version to induce workflow. Still, developers should be dissatisfied because there are no such big release upgrade version checks, as we observe in the JDK improvement proposal, usually referred to as JEPS, which is supplied below:

• Restore or Rebuild the "Always-Strict Floating-Point" Semantics
• Enhanced faster the "pseudo-Random" Number Generators
• New macOS rendering pipelines
• macOS/AArch64 Port
• Dismiss the Applet API for Removal
• JDK Internals Encapsulate strongly
• Switch Pattern Matching (Preview)
• Activation of the Removal RMI
• Generate sealed Classes
• Removal of the Experimental AOT and JIT Compiler
• Remove the Security Manager.
• Foreign Functions and Memory API (Incubator)
• Vector API (Second Incubator)
• Deserialization Filters Based on Context (content-specific)

We believe there are no substantial markup changes in this version, but we are doing a deeper dig to understand them. Therefore we are categorizing them as follows:

• Nice developer-related features
• Developer-specific information or features
• Keeping current with Apple-related features
• Cleaning up various features

First category: Nice developer-related features

• Switch Pattern Matching (Preview)
• Generate sealed Classes

Switch Pattern Matching (Preview)

It makes switch statements and expressions more flexible and expressive by letting patterns appear in case labels. It also makes it possible to relax the switch's null-hostility when needed.

There are two main patterns, which are as follows:

• Guarded pattern: Uses pattern && boolean expression to refine further.
• Pattern between parentheses

Generate sealed Classes

Adds sealed classes and interfaces to the Java language to make it better. Sealed classes and interfaces limit other classes, and interfaces can extend and implement them, respectively.

Showing some other progress to pattern matching along with the JEP 406 will make it possible to check the type, cast, and act code pattern more sophisticatedly and cleanly.

Syntax:

The following syntax generates a sealed class in the java 17 version

Second category: Developer-specific information or features

Restore or Rebuild the "Always-Strict Floating-Point" Semantics

This JEP makes floating-point operations uniformly stringent and is primarily intended for scientific applications. Both default floating-point operations, strict or strictfp, provide the same outcomes for calculations using floating-point on every platform.

Vector API (Second Incubator)

The Vector API works with Single Instruction, Multiple Data / SIMD operations, which include multiple sets of instructions being processed concurrently. It uses specialized CPU hardware that provides vector instruction and enables the operation of these instructions as pipelines.

The new API will consequently give programmers the ability to write more effective code. It makes better use of the capabilities of the underlying hardware.

Deserialization Filters Based on Context (content-specific)

The JDK 9 version makes it possible for us to verify receiving serialized data from untrusted sources, which is a frequent source of security problems.

Applications can configure dynamically chosen and context-specific deserialization filters.

Enhanced faster the "pseudo-Random" Number Generators

It offers a new interface type and solutions for pseudo-random number generators to make using multiple PRNG algorithms simpler and properly support stream-based operations.

JDK Internals Encapsulate strongly

Since JEP 403 eliminates the flag -illegal-access, it signals a step toward strongly enclosing JDK internals.

If the flag is present and the platform will disregard the flag, then the console will send out a message to stop using the given flag.

Foreign Functions and Memory API (Incubator)

Java programmers can retrieve code from outside the JVM. Thanks to the Foreign Function and Memory API, it controls memory outside of the heap.

The intention is to replace the JNI API and enhance its performance and security over the previous version.

Third category: Keeping current with Apple-related features

New macOS rendering pipelines

This JEP makes a Java 2D internal processing pipeline for macOS since Apple removed the OpenGL API in macOS 10.14. The Swing GUI used the OpenGL API.

Apart from the underlying engine, there were no modifications to the current APIs because the implementation uses the Apple Metal API.

macOS/AArch64 Port

Apple announced a long-term strategy to switch its computer line from X64 to AArch64. With the help of this JEP, the JDK may now run on macOS platforms with AArch64.

Fourth category: Cleaning up various features

Dismiss the Applet API for Removal

Most browsers will no longer support the applet API because it has been deprecated since JDK9.

Activation of the Removal RMI

RMI's use in the web technology of the previous ten years has rendered the RMI activation mechanism outdated.

Removal of the Experimental AOT and JIT Compiler

Take out the trial versions of the java-based AOT (ahead-of-time) and JIT (just-in-time) compilers.

Remove the Security Manager.

Reject the Security Manager so it can be taken out in a later update. Java 1.0 version starts Security Manager. For several years, it was never the main method of protecting client-side code.

The following syntax helps to remove the security manager with annotation.

Conclusion

Java17 creates multiple features for the users and developer. It creates complicated web-based and java based applications easily. There are multiple feature inserts and removes for better development.