What Java Trends Will Shape 2022? From LTS Migration to Cloud and Security

General Trends

1. Migrating from Java 8

Many applications will continue to run on Java 8 because it is still supported by many vendors. However, the changes introduced in Java 9 make migration effortful, and 2022 is expected to be the year many teams finally move to the latest LTS release for several reasons.

Last year introduced the first LTS version in three years, giving it enough time to be considered safe and reliable; enterprises are already testing it and providing feedback. Although Java 17 is the newest LTS, many developers may choose the previous LTS, Java 11, for its balance of stability and features, while Spring users are likely to adopt Java 17.

The new release cadence will make future migrations smoother.

Oracle’s support for Java 8 is ending.

We may see the start of a global migration wave this year as new business challenges demand modern solutions.

2. Better Cloud Support

Micro‑services, containers, message brokers, and native images are not new, but they continue to be actively developed. By 2022 we can expect greater stability, speed, and capacity for these containers, and new operating systems will be tuned for Java containers, making them faster and more secure. BellSoft plans to release such an OS soon, providing a full set of features for Java development.

This will improve cloud utilization for Java workloads, making 2022 a pivotal year for cloud deployments.

3. Improved Multi‑Platform Support

Java remains the best choice for cross‑architecture compatibility, and its support will improve further.

RISC‑V

New CPU families may become alternatives to x86 and ARM. Their main advantage is royalty‑free chip development, motivating many companies. Although currently focused on embedded devices, we expect RISC‑V support in a future Java LTS release.

AArch64/AArch32

Java fully supports these architectures, and each new release brings better performance on AArch64. Users of Java 11 and newer already benefit from these enhancements.

Mac System Support

Developers appreciate macOS for its elegant UI and the improved support for AArch64 CPUs and new graphics APIs. Java developers will leverage the latest Mac models with M1‑class processors.

Security and Open‑Source Approach

Log4Shell shocked the Java community and highlighted that open‑source components can be vulnerable. The flaw was not a language or JVM issue but stemmed from the Apache Log4j library. Although patches were available quickly, many organizations delayed applying them.

Open‑source is not perfect, but it allows code inspection and testing before adoption. The community’s failure to review the code in time contributed to the incident, and enterprises also share responsibility for blindly using third‑party code.

Future projects should audit libraries for similar vulnerabilities and consider moving sensitive code to private repositories with restricted access.

Java 18: What to Expect

Java 18 will set the direction for the next LTS release. Key anticipated improvements include:

The Security Manager is likely to be deprecated, removing a historically cumbersome feature.

Enhanced code snippets and comment reading to reduce errors.

Switch expressions and pattern matching, bringing Java closer to newer languages while maintaining backward compatibility.

Java Projects

Exciting developments are happening outside the main branch. Several projects serve as testbeds for new techniques and have become effective development solutions.

JavaFX

OpenJFX continues to evolve and be used, even though it is not part of the core OpenJDK repository. It remains important for many client‑side applications.

For further reading, see the original article at DZone.