Java - JDK 21
Released on:
September 19, 2023
By Theepana Govintharajah
Features
Virtual threads
Record patterns
Sequenced collections
Key encapsulation
mechanism API (KEM)
Generational ZGC
String templates (Preview)
Structured concurrency
(Preview)
Unnamed Classes and
Instance Main Methods
(Preview)
Scoped Values (Preview)
By Theepana Govintharajah
Virtual threads
Virtual threads are a new
type of thread that is
managed by the JVM.
They are lightweight and can
be used to improve the
performance of concurrent
applications.
They were introduced as a
preview feature in JDK 19
and finalized in JDK 21.
By Theepana Govintharajah
Record patterns
Record patterns are a new
type of pattern that can be
used to match and
decompose record values.
They make it easier to
write concise and readable
code.
(Record values are a type of data
structure that was introduced in
Java 14. )
Sequenced collections
Sequenced collections are
a new type of collection
that maintains the defined
order in which elements
are encountered.
They can be used to
implement efficient and
reliable concurrent data
structures.
Sequenced collections are
defined by the new
SequencedCollection
interface.
By Theepana Govintharajah
Sequenced collections
This interface provides
methods for adding,
removing, and retrieving
elements at both ends of
the collection.
It also provides a method
for getting a reversed view
of the collection.
By Theepana Govintharajah
Sequenced collections
Sequenced collections can
be used to implement a
variety of concurrent data
structures, such as queues,
stacks, and deques.
They can also be used to
implement efficient
algorithms that operate on
ordered data, such as
sorting and searching.
By Theepana Govintharajah
Key encapsulation
mechanism API (KEM)
It is a new API that
provides a standardized
way to encapsulate
cryptographic keys.
This can help to improve
the security of Java
applications.
By Theepana Govintharajah
A KEM is a cryptographic
algorithm that is used to
generate a shared secret
key between two parties.
The sender uses the
receiver's public key to
generate a key
encapsulation message
(KEM), which is sent to the
receiver. The receiver then
uses their private key to
decapsulate the KEM to
recover the shared secret
key.
Generational ZGC
It is a new type of garbage
collector that was
introduced in JDK 21.
Generational ZGC is still
under development, but it
has shown promising
results in benchmarks. It is
expected to become the
default garbage collector
in future releases of the
Java SE platform.
By Theepana Govintharajah
Generational ZGC
Generational ZGC
performs most of its work
concurrently with the
application running, which
minimizes the impact on
application performance.
Generational ZGC can use
multiple threads to collect
garbage in parallel, which
can improve scalability on
multi-core systems.
By Theepana Govintharajah
String templates
String templates are a new
preview feature in JDK 21
that provides a way to
format strings using
expressions.
They can be used to write
more concise and readable
code.
String templates are
defined using the ${}
syntax.
By Theepana Govintharajah
String templates
Code
String template = "Hello, ${name}! You are ${age} years old.";
String result = [Link](template, "Alice", 25);
[Link](result);
Output:
Hello, Alice! You are 25 years old.
String templates can also be used to
format more complex data structures,
such as lists and objects.
Code:
${names[0]} and ${names[1]} are friends.
By Theepana Govintharajah
Structured concurrency
Structured concurrency is
a new preview feature in
JDK 21 that provides a way
to simplify concurrent
programming.
It treats groups of related
tasks running in different
threads as a single unit of
work.
This streamlines error
handling and cancellation,
improves reliability, and
enhances observability.
By Theepana Govintharajah
Structured concurrency
Structured concurrency is
based on the concept of a
scope.
A scope is a unit of work
that encompasses a group
of related tasks.
Scopes can be nested,
which allows you to create
hierarchical concurrent
programs.
By Theepana Govintharajah
Unnamed Classes and
Instance Main Methods
Unnamed classes and
instance main methods are
a new preview feature in
JDK 21 that allows you to
write simpler and more
concise scripts in Java.
Unnamed classes are
classes that do not have a
name.
By Theepana Govintharajah
They are created using the
class keyword without a
following identifier.
Unnamed classes can be used
to encapsulate code that is
only needed in a single place,
such as in a script.
It can be used to make scripts
more modular and reusable,
as they allow you to create
scripts that can be reused in
different contexts.
By Theepana Govintharajah
Scoped Values
Scoped values are a new
preview feature in JDK 21
that allows you to safely
and efficiently share data
between methods in a
large program without
resorting to method
arguments.
They are similar to thread-
local variables, but they
are more efficient and can
be used in a wider variety
of situations.
By Theepana Govintharajah
The value will be accessible to
all methods in the current
scope, but it will not be
accessible to methods
outside of the scope.
Scoped values can also be
used to avoid passing
unnecessary data to methods.
For example, if you have a
method that needs to access
the current user ID, you can
use a scoped value to bind
the user ID to the method.
This will avoid having to pass
the user ID to the method
explicitly.
By Theepana Govintharajah
public class ScopedValuesExample {
private static final ScopedValue<String> USER_ID = new ScopedValue<>();
public static void main(String[] args) {
// Bind a user ID to the scoped value.
USER_ID.bind("1234567890");
// Call a method that uses the scoped value.
useUserId();
// Unbind the user ID from the scoped value.
USER_ID.unbind();
}
private static void useUserId() {
// Get the user ID from the scoped value.
String userId = USER_ID.get();
// Use the user ID.
[Link]("The user ID is: " + userId);
}
}
By Theepana Govintharajah
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