Java 17 Lts
Release Overview
Java 17 was released on September 15, 2021, as the first LTS release following the new two-year cadence (replacing the previous three-year cycle). This release delivers 14 JEPs focused on language enhancements, platform improvements, and developer productivity.
Key Metrics:
- Release Date: September 15, 2021
- Support Duration: 8+ years (until 2029+)
- Previous LTS: Java 11 (September 2018, 3-year gap)
- Next LTS: Java 21 (September 2023, 2-year gap)
- JEPs Delivered: 14 enhancements
Major Language Features
1. Sealed Classes (Finalized)
JEP 409: Restrict which classes can extend or implement a type, enabling precise domain modeling and exhaustive pattern matching.
Key Benefits:
- Explicit type hierarchies
- Compiler exhaustiveness checking
- Better security and encapsulation
- Clear documentation of permitted subtypes
Example:
// Sealed interface with permitted implementations
public sealed interface PaymentMethod
permits CreditCard, BankTransfer, Cash {
BigDecimal getAmount();
boolean process();
}
public final class CreditCard implements PaymentMethod {
private final String cardNumber;
private final BigDecimal amount;
public CreditCard(String cardNumber, BigDecimal amount) {
this.cardNumber = cardNumber;
this.amount = amount;
}
@Override
public BigDecimal getAmount() { return amount; }
@Override
public boolean process() {
// Credit card processing logic
return true;
}
}
public final class BankTransfer implements PaymentMethod {
private final String accountNumber;
private final BigDecimal amount;
@Override
public BigDecimal getAmount() { return amount; }
@Override
public boolean process() {
// Bank transfer logic
return true;
}
}
public final class Cash implements PaymentMethod {
private final BigDecimal amount;
@Override
public BigDecimal getAmount() { return amount; }
@Override
public boolean process() {
// Cash processing logic
return true;
}
}
// Exhaustive switch - compiler ensures all cases covered
public class PaymentProcessor {
public void process(PaymentMethod payment) {
switch (payment) {
case CreditCard card ->
System.out.println("Credit: " + card.getAmount());
case BankTransfer transfer ->
System.out.println("Transfer: " + transfer.getAmount());
case Cash cash ->
System.out.println("Cash: " + cash.getAmount());
// No default needed - compiler checks exhaustiveness
}
}
}Hierarchy Example:
// Sealed class with mixed modifiers
public abstract sealed class Transaction
permits ZakatTransaction, GeneralDonation {
protected final String id;
protected final BigDecimal amount;
protected final LocalDateTime timestamp;
protected Transaction(String id, BigDecimal amount) {
this.id = id;
this.amount = amount;
this.timestamp = LocalDateTime.now();
}
public abstract String getType();
}
// Final subclass (cannot be extended)
public final class ZakatTransaction extends Transaction {
private final String donorId;
private final ZakatCategory category;
@Override
public String getType() { return "ZAKAT"; }
}
// Sealed subclass (controlled extension)
public sealed class GeneralDonation extends Transaction
permits EmergencyDonation, ProgramDonation {
protected final String purpose;
@Override
public String getType() { return "DONATION"; }
}
public final class EmergencyDonation extends GeneralDonation {
private final String emergencyType;
}
public final class ProgramDonation extends GeneralDonation {
private final String programName;
}2. Pattern Matching for Switch (Preview)
JEP 406: Enable pattern matching in switch statements and expressions with type patterns, guards, and null handling.
Status: Preview (requires --enable-preview)
Finalized in: Java 21
Example:
public class TransactionValidator {
// Before Java 17 - verbose instanceof chain
public String validateOld(Object tx) {
String result;
if (tx instanceof CreditCard) {
CreditCard card = (CreditCard) tx;
result = "Credit card: " + card.getAmount();
} else if (tx instanceof BankTransfer) {
BankTransfer transfer = (BankTransfer) tx;
result = "Transfer: " + transfer.getAmount();
} else {
result = "Unknown";
}
return result;
}
// Java 17 - pattern matching for switch
public String validate(Object tx) {
return switch (tx) {
case CreditCard card ->
"Credit card: " + card.getAmount();
case BankTransfer transfer ->
"Transfer: " + transfer.getAmount();
case Cash cash ->
"Cash: " + cash.getAmount();
case null ->
"Null transaction";
default ->
"Unknown type";
};
}
// Pattern matching with guards
public String validateWithAmount(PaymentMethod payment) {
return switch (payment) {
case CreditCard card when card.getAmount().compareTo(BigDecimal.ZERO) > 0 ->
"Valid credit card";
case BankTransfer transfer when transfer.getAmount().compareTo(BigDecimal.ZERO) > 0 ->
"Valid transfer";
case Cash cash when cash.getAmount().compareTo(BigDecimal.ZERO) > 0 ->
"Valid cash";
default ->
"Invalid amount";
};
}
}3. Restore Always-Strict Floating-Point Semantics
JEP 306: All floating-point operations now strictly follow IEEE 754 standards. The strictfp keyword is no longer needed.
Before Java 17:
// Had to use strictfp for consistent results
public strictfp class FinancialCalculator {
public double calculateInterest(double principal, double rate) {
return principal * rate;
}
}Java 17 and Later:
// strictfp no longer needed - all operations strict by default
public class FinancialCalculator {
public double calculateInterest(double principal, double rate) {
return principal * rate;
// Guaranteed IEEE 754 compliant on all platforms
}
}Core Library Enhancements
4. Enhanced Pseudo-Random Number Generators
JEP 356: New interfaces and implementations for PRNGs with better stream support and algorithm flexibility.
New Interfaces:
RandomGenerator- Base interfaceRandomGenerator.SplittableGenerator- For parallel streamsRandomGenerator.JumpableGenerator- Skip-ahead capabilityRandomGenerator.LeapableGenerator- Large jumpsRandomGenerator.ArbitrarilyJumpableGenerator- Arbitrary distance jumps
Example:
import java.util.random.RandomGenerator;
import java.util.random.RandomGeneratorFactory;
public class DonationDistributor {
// Use specific algorithm
public void distributeRandomly() {
RandomGenerator generator = RandomGeneratorFactory
.of("L128X1024MixRandom")
.create(12345L); // Seed for reproducibility
int beneficiaryIndex = generator.nextInt(100);
double amount = generator.nextDouble(1000.0);
System.out.println("Selected beneficiary: " + beneficiaryIndex);
System.out.println("Amount: " + amount);
}
// Use default generator
public void distributeWithDefault() {
RandomGenerator generator = RandomGenerator.getDefault();
// Stream-based operations
generator.ints(10, 1, 101)
.forEach(index ->
System.out.println("Beneficiary " + index + " selected"));
}
// List available algorithms
public void listAlgorithms() {
RandomGeneratorFactory.all()
.map(RandomGeneratorFactory::name)
.sorted()
.forEach(System.out::println);
}
}Platform and Performance
5. macOS/AArch64 Port
JEP 391: Native support for macOS on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, and later chips).
Benefits:
- Native performance on Apple Silicon
- Better battery life
- Improved thermal efficiency
- Feature parity with x64 macOS
6. New macOS Rendering Pipeline
JEP 382: Java 2D rendering using Apple’s Metal API instead of deprecated OpenGL.
Security and Encapsulation
7. Strong Encapsulation of JDK Internals
JEP 403: Internal JDK APIs are strongly encapsulated by default (except for critical APIs like sun.misc.Unsafe).
Impact:
- Most internal APIs inaccessible via reflection
- Improves security and maintainability
- May require code changes if using internal APIs
- Use
--add-opensflag if necessary (not recommended)
Deprecations and Removals
Deprecated for Removal:
- Security Manager (JEP 411) - Will be removed in future versions
- Applet API (JEP 398) - Browser plugins obsolete
Removed:
- RMI Activation (JEP 407) - Obsolete since Java 8
- Experimental AOT and JIT Compiler (JEP 410) - Limited adoption
Incubator and Preview Features
Foreign Function & Memory API (Incubator)
JEP 412: API for interoperating with code and data outside the Java runtime, replacing JNI.
Status: Incubator in Java 17, finalized in Java 25
Vector API (Second Incubator)
JEP 414: Express vector computations that compile to optimal hardware instructions.
Use Cases:
- Machine learning
- Cryptography
- Financial modeling
- Image processing
Status: Incubator in Java 17, continues evolving
Context-Specific Deserialization Filters
JEP 415: Configure context-specific deserialization filters for better security.
Performance Improvements
Java 17 includes thousands of optimizations:
- Garbage Collection: Better G1GC, ZGC, Shenandoah performance
- JIT Compiler: Faster warm-up, better peak performance
- Startup Time: Reduced application startup time
- Memory Footprint: Lower memory consumption
- Security Updates: Latest patches and cryptographic algorithms
Migration Considerations
From Java 11 to Java 17:
Breaking Changes:
- Removed APIs (RMI Activation, Nashorn)
- Strong encapsulation of internal APIs
- Reflection changes may require
--add-opens
Migration Steps:
- Update dependencies to Java 17-compatible versions
- Run comprehensive tests
- Address deprecation warnings
- Update build tools (Maven plugins, Gradle)
- Performance test thoroughly
Why Upgrade to Java 17?
For Java 8/11 Applications:
- Long-term Support: 8+ years of updates
- Performance: 10-25% better than Java 11
- Security: Latest security features
- Language Features: Sealed classes, pattern matching, records (Java 16)
- Modern APIs: Enhanced collections, streams, HTTP client
For New Projects:
- Industry Standard: Widely adopted LTS version
- Rich Ecosystem: Excellent framework support
- Best Tooling: IDE and build tool support
- Future-Proof: Foundation for Java 21/25 migration
Feature Evolution
| Feature | Java 17 | Java 21 | Java 25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sealed Classes | ✅ Finalized | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Pattern Matching | 🔬 Preview | ✅ Finalized | ✅ Enhanced |
| Records | ✅ Finalized | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Text Blocks | ✅ Finalized | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
Migration Path
Java 17 serves as foundation for future LTS migrations:
Java 17 → Java 21:
- Adopt virtual threads for I/O-bound services
- Finalize pattern matching usage
- Leverage sequenced collections
Java 17 → Java 25:
- Two-phase migration recommended (17 → 21 → 25)
- Direct migration possible but riskier
- Gain all concurrency and performance improvements
Summary
Java 17 LTS (2021) established modern Java foundations with:
- Sealed classes for precise type hierarchies
- Pattern matching preview for cleaner conditionals
- Enhanced PRNG for better randomness
- macOS/AArch64 support for Apple Silicon
- Strong encapsulation for better security
Next Steps:
- Review Java 21 Highlights for virtual threads and sequenced collections
- Explore Java 25 Highlights for performance optimizations