A categorized list of all Java and JVM features since JDK 8 to 16

A categorized list of all Java and JVM features since JDK 8 to 16

Last updated on 2021/04/01 to include changes up to JDK 16.

Since the release of version 8, up to version 16, Java is shaped by 180 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), each of which brings some improvement to the platform. This page is a categorized and curated list of the most important improvements.

Contents of this page:

• New Language Features
• New APIs
• Performance Improvements
• Security Improvements
• Bytecode Changes
• Launching
• Packaging
• Javadoc
• New Platforms
• Deprecation and Removal
• New Version Scheme

The full list of JEPs can be found on the OpenJDK website under the jdk and jdk9 projects.

All features are generally available and enabled by default, except if they are labelled with one of the following:

• Preview 🔍 features are fully specified and implemented, but not yet considered to be final. They are considered to be almost complete, waiting for an additional round of real-world feedback. They have to be explicitly enabled.
• Experimental 💥 features are less stable, and more likely to change. They also have to be explicitly enabled.
• Incubator 🥚 modules are non-final tools and API’s, and are distributed in separate modules.