Explore Java 11‑17: Key Features, Performance Boosts, and New APIs

Java 11

Introduced Nest‑Based Access Control, a standardized HttpClient API, the low‑overhead Epsilon GC, single‑file source‑code launch, lambda parameter type inference, and TLS 1.3 support.

Java 12

Added the Shenandoah low‑pause GC, enhanced G1 with NUMA‑aware allocation, and provided new switch expression preview.

Java 13

Delivered dynamic class‑data sharing, ZGC improvements, new JFR usage, and previewed text blocks.

Java 14

Featured instanceof pattern matching, records (preview), new NullPointerException messages, and refined text blocks with escape sequences.

Java 15

Standardized switch expressions, introduced sealed classes (preview), removed Nashorn, added hidden classes, and made ZGC production‑ready.

Java 16

Long‑term support release with pattern‑matching for switch, records, vector API incubator, foreign‑memory access incubator, and removal of biased locking.

Java 17 (LTS)

Finalized sealed classes, enhanced pseudo‑random generators, added macOS Metal rendering pipeline, and deprecated the security manager and Applet API.

Overall Impact

Across these releases Java has steadily improved performance, safety, and developer productivity through new language constructs, modern garbage collectors, stronger encapsulation, and richer native interop APIs.