Java 8 vs 11 vs 17 vs 21

Java has evolved significantly with each major release, introducing performance improvements, security updates, and new features. In this blog, we’ll compare Java 8, 11, 17, and 21, highlighting the key differences with practical code examples.

1. Java 8: The Revolution

Java 8, released in 2014, was a major upgrade introducing functional programming concepts and improving memory management.

Key Features of Java 8:

✅ Lambda Expressions — Functional-style programming.
✅ Streams API — Efficient data processing.
✅ Default & Static Methods in Interfaces — Interface enhancements.
✅ Optional Class — Better null handling.
✅ Date and Time API (java.time) — Improved date handling.

Code Example: Lambda & Streams API

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;

public class Java8Features {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        List<String> names = Arrays.asList("Alice", "Bob", "Charlie");

        // Using Streams API with lambda
        names.stream()
             .filter(name -> name.startsWith("A"))
             .forEach(System.out::println);
    }
}