Oracle unveils Java 21 with major enhancements and extended support

Oracle has unveiled Java 21, the newest iteration of the widely used programming language and development platform. Oracle JDK 21 brings an array of enhancements aimed at boosting performance, stability, and security, thus enabling developers to bolster productivity and spur innovation within their organizations.

Incorporating 15 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs), JDK 21 offers language improvements from OpenJDK project Amber, including String Templates, Record Patterns, Pattern Matching for Switch, Unnamed Patterns and Variables, and Unnamed Classes and Instance Main Methods. It also includes enhancements from Project Panama, such as the Foreign Function & Memory API and Vector API.

Java 21 also provides features associated with Project Loom, including Virtual Threads, Scoped Values, and Structured Concurrency. Performance updates are incorporated as well, with Generational ZGC, along with maintenance and deprecation features like Deprecate the 32-bit x86 Port for Removal, and Prepare to Disallow the Dynamic Loading of Agents.

Oracle has committed to long-term support for Java 21 for a minimum of eight years, offering organizations the flexibility to keep applications in production for extended periods with limited maintenance. In addition, Oracle has extended long-term support for Java 11 through at least January 2032, ensuring a further eight-plus years of support and updates.