JDK 7, 8 and 9

Mark Reinhold


Java7

• Project Coin: small language improvements
  • diamond <> operator: easier generics
  • multi-catch clause
  • ...
• invokedynamic: bytecode opperation for dynamic languages (e.g. JRuby) and will be used for Lamba expressions in Java 8.
• fork/join framework

Java8

• Lambda expressions (aka Closures)
• Jigsaw: modularity
  • improve performance:
    • only load what's needed
    • more efficient jmod package type
  • dependencies are defined in the module configuration --> better than the current classpath hell
  • jmod modules will be easily packaged into rpm or deb packages ⁻ JavaFX 3.0
• Type annotations
• new Date/Time library (cfr. JodaTime)
• support for Sensors (accelerometer, etc.)

Java9 (not decided yet)

• self-tuning JVM's
• better JNI
• support for Big Data
• reified generics
• unified types: int <> Integer etc.
• optimize tail recursion... finally?
• resource management / accounting?