Oracle launches Java 24 with improvements in performance, security, and AI support, introducing new language and library features to help developers work more efficiently, and focusing on post-quantum cryptography.
Oracle has launched Java 24. The update includes improvements in performance, security, and stability, with extra attention to AI applications and post-quantum cryptography.
Java 24 is equipped with new language and library features that help developers code more efficiently and build complex software faster. With this release, Oracle continues to follow its six-monthly update schedule and collaborates with the Java community on the further evolution of the platform.
With Java 24, Oracle introduces JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) that help developers increase their productivity and improve the programming language. The latest version also offers performance, stability, and security improvements, with special attention to AI applications and post-quantum cryptography.
New Language and Library Features
Java 24 includes several new language features, including JEP 488, which extends support for primitive types in pattern matching, instanceof, and switch. This makes the language more uniform and increases developer productivity. Additionally, JEP 492 introduces flexible constructor bodies, which improves code reliability by clearly distinguishing between the initial and final phases of a constructor.
In terms of libraries, JEP 485 introduces an extension of the Stream API, allowing developers to work more efficiently with data streams. JEP 484 also offers a new Class-File API for generating and transforming Java class files. Furthermore, JEP 499 makes it easier to work with multithreading through an API for structured concurrency.
Security and Performance
Java 24 addresses the growing threat of quantum computers with JEP 496 and JEP 497, which implement a post-quantum key distribution mechanism (ML-KEM) and a digital signature algorithm (ML-DSA), respectively. These features are intended to improve the security of Java applications and prepare for future quantum computing attacks.
In terms of runtime and performance improvements, JEP 450 introduces compact object headers, which reduce the memory size of object headers, resulting in better memory efficiency. Additionally, JEP 490 removes the non-generational mode of the Z Garbage Collector (ZGC) to simplify JDK maintenance.