Java 9 Features: A Comprehensive Guide

Java 9 Features: A Comprehensive Guide

Java 9 was released in September 2017. It is a major release that includes a number of new features and improvements.

Here are some of the most important Java 9 features:

• Module System: The Java Platform Module System (JPMS) is a new feature that allows Java applications to be modularized. This makes Java applications more secure, maintainable, and portable.
• Private Methods in Interfaces: Interfaces can now have private methods. This allows developers to encapsulate implementation details and improve the readability and maintainability of their code.
• Try-With-Resources Improvement: The try-with-resources statement has been improved to make it easier to manage resources. Now, resources can be automatically closed when the try block exits, even if an exception is thrown.
• Anonymous Classes: Anonymous classes can now be created using the diamond operator (<>). This makes it easier to create anonymous classes and improves the readability of code.
• @SafeVarargs Annotation: The @SafeVarargs annotation can be used to mark methods that are safe to be called with variable arguments. This can help to prevent errors caused by incorrect usage of variable arguments.
• Collection Factory Methods: A number of new factory methods have been added to the Collections and Arrays classes. These methods make it easier to create immutable collections and arrays.
• Process API Improvement: The Process API has been improved to make it easier to interact with child processes. This includes support for new methods for starting, killing, and querying child processes.
• New Version-String Scheme: The version string scheme for Java has been changed. The new scheme uses three numbers to represent the major, minor, and patch versions.
• Reactive Streams:
  Another significant addition in Java 9 is the support for Reactive Streams. This feature offers a standardized API for asynchronous processing, allowing developers to handle and process large volumes of data efficiently. In this section, we’ll explore the Reactive Streams API and outline its benefits and usage patterns.
• REPL (JShell):
  One of the most helpful features for developers, Java 9 includes a Read-Eval-Print Loop (REPL) tool called JShell. JShell provides an interactive and sandboxed environment to experiment, test code snippets, and quickly prototype ideas. In this section, we’ll guide you on how to use JShell effectively to enhance your development workflow.
• Stream API Enhancements:
  Java 8 introduced the Stream API, and Java 9 further enhanced it with new methods and improvements. In this section, we’ll cover the enhancements in the Stream API, such as dropWhile/takeWhile, iterate, and new methods in Optional. We’ll provide examples and discuss how these additions simplify coding and improve performance.
• HTTP/2 Support:
  Java 9 comes with built-in support for HTTP/2, the latest version of the HTTP protocol, providing faster and more efficient communication between clients and servers. In this section, we’ll explore the HTTP/2 API in Java 9 and showcase its benefits in real-world scenarios.

These are just some of the most important Java 9 features. For more information, please refer to the Java 9 release notes: https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/9-relnotes.html.

Advantages of Java 9

The Java 9 module system is one of the most important new features in this release. It allows Java applications to be modularized, which makes them more secure, maintainable, and portable.

Other advantages of Java 9 include:

• Improved performance
• Enhanced security features
• New tools and APIs
• Support for new technologies, such as HTTP/2

Conclusion

Java 9 is a major release that includes a number of new features and improvements. These features make Java applications more secure, maintainable, and portable. If you are a Java developer, I encourage you to learn about the new features in Java 9 and start using them in your applications.