Java 26 is getting all packaged up to be shipped worldwide! As with every release of the JDK there are a number of new features, improvements, changes in behavior, and more developers should be aware of before upgrading.

Inside Java is a resource for Java developers, offering insights, tutorials, and updates on the Java programming language, platform, and ecosystem. With contributions from Java experts and members of the Java community, Inside Java covers a wide range of topics, including language features, performance optimizations, and upcoming releases. Developers can stay informed about the latest developments in the Java ecosystem, learn about new APIs and frameworks, and explore best practices for building robust and scalable Java applications.

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Java 26 is approaching release and brings a range of developer-impacting changes. Key JEPs include HTTP/3 support for the HTTP Client API (JEP 517), Ahead-of-Time Object Caching with Any GC (JEP 516), G1 GC throughput improvements via reduced synchronization (JEP 522), Structured Concurrency sixth preview (JEP 525), Lazy Constants second preview (JEP 526), PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects second preview (JEP 524), and Primitive Types in Patterns fourth preview (JEP 530). Notable removals include the Applet API (JEP 504), Thread.stop, SDP support, and several deprecated APIs. Other changes include JDBC 4.5 support, Unicode 17.0 data files, CLDR 48.0, java.nio.ByteOrder converted to an enum, and java.lang.Process implementing Closeable. The Inside Java Newscast episode covers all these changes to help developers prepare for upgrading.

Episode 51 “Unboxing Java 26 for Developers” [IJN] – Inside.java