Oracle has confirmed the most recent version of the development platform, java 20. It offers many improvements in performance, stability, and security, as well as improved productivity. Java 20 includes several improvements, mainly focused on tracking functions that were previously absent in previous versions. It also responds to seven suggestions for improvement.
Oracle Java Development Kit (JDK) 20 improves language capabilities from the Amber OpenJDK project on expression patterns and pattern matching for switch statements. It also extends the Panama OpenJDK project for native code interfacing with the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and vector API.
Improvements to scope values, virtual threads, and structured concurrency are just a few of Java 20's latest enhancements related to Project Loom. These will make it easier for you to create, maintain, and observe high-performance concurrent applications.
The most significant Java 20 updates and enhancements include the second preview of registration patterns (JEP 432) and the fourth preview of pattern matching to switch expressions (JEP 433). The first allows users to nest record and type patterns to create a powerful, declarative, and compatible method for navigation and data processing. Thus, developers extend pattern matching to enable more complex, complex data queries.
It's possible to extend pattern matching to other expressions, allowing an expression to be tested against many patterns, each with a specific action. Thus, complex queries can be expressed concisely and confidently.
In the preliminary or incubation stages, Java 20 includes several enhancements from the Loom project, including scope values and structured concurrency; and the virtual threads, in the second preview. The first allows for immutable data sharing between various threads, and increases usability, robustness, and performance.
Virtual threads, on the other hand, enable the optimization of the writing, maintenance, and monitoring of concurrent high-performance applications, thanks to the addition of lightweight virtual children to the Java platform.
Structured concurrency gives the opportunity to reduce multithreaded programming by combining several tasks executed in different threads into a single unit of work, thus enhancing reliability and observability.
In the Second Preview, the Panama project preview functions are the Memory API and External Functions. With it, Java programs may interoperate with code and data outside of the Java runtime.
The Vector API (JEP 438), now in its fifth incubation, expresses vector computations that compile vector instructions at runtime on supported CPU architectures.
Java 20's Java Management Service includes a native OCI (Oracle Cloud Infrastructure) service, allowing you to manage Java runtimes and applications in on-premises and cloud environments.
