Exploring Java 23: New Features and Enhancements

Java keeps getting better, and with each new version, developers get more useful tools, faster performance, and easier-to-use code. Java 23 arrived with exciting new features and enhancements that promise to make development easier, more efficient, and more powerful. 

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the latest updates in Java 23 and what improvements have been made to language capabilities and performance. We will compare it with Java 22 and also discuss why  experienced Java developers still prefer Java 8 and Java 11.

Overview of Java 23

Java 23 is the latest version of the Java programming language, bringing a lot of new features and improvements to make development easier, faster, and more efficient. It focuses on key areas like security, language enhancements, performance optimizations, and updates to tools and libraries.

Some highlights of Java 23 include:

• Improved Language Features: It makes writing code easier and cleaner, such as allowing primitive types in pattern matching and improving how we handle switch statements.
• Better Tools for Developers: New features, like allowing Javadoc comments to be written in Markdown, make documentation simpler.
• Library Enhancements: Java 23 updates its libraries to help developers work better with class files, streams, and concurrency, which makes building applications more efficient.
• Runtime Optimizations: Java 23 optimizes memory management and the garbage collection process, improving overall performance.

With Java 23, developers can enjoy better productivity, increased performance, and more powerful tools to create high-quality software. Whether you’re working on small projects or large systems, Java 23 helps make the process smoother and faster.

New Features in Java 23

Java 23 introduces several new features that make coding easier, faster, and more efficient. The release includes 12 JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) covering different areas. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

Integrity Features

Java 23 integrity feature updates include:

Deprecate the Memory-Access Methods in sun.misc.unsafe for Removal: JEP 471

This change helps developers see when their applications depend on memory-access methods in sun.misc.Unsafe, which will be removed in a future version. Oracle did this to make the Java platform more secure and reliable.

Tool Updates

Latest Java version has brought some tool updates along with it:

Markdown Documentation Comments: JEP 467

This feature allows Javadoc comments to be written in Markdown instead of just HTML and Javadoc @-tags. It makes it easier for developers to write and read API documentation directly in the source code.

Language Improvements

Java 23 continues to improve the language, making it easier to work with smaller programs and scripts while still being powerful for large applications.

Primitive Types in Patterns, instanceof, and switch (Preview): JEP 455

This feature improves Java’s pattern matching by allowing primitive types to be used in pattern matching, instanceof checks, and switch statements. It helps developers write cleaner and more expressive code.

Module Import Declarations (Preview): JEP 476

This update allows developers to import all packages from a module easily, even if the importing code isn’t in a module. It simplifies using third-party libraries and core Java classes, making it easier for beginners.

Implicitly Declared Classes and Instance Main Methods (Third Preview): JEP 477

This feature helps new developers get started with Java. It allows them to write simple programs without needing to worry about complex language features meant for large projects.

Flexible Constructor Bodies (Second Preview): JEP 482

This feature lets developers add statements before calling the constructor’s parent class (super(..)) or other constructors (this(..)). It gives more flexibility while maintaining the rule that constructors run in a top-down order when creating a class.

Library Enhancements

Java 23 brings several important updates to its libraries:

Class-File API (Second Preview): JEP 466

This provides a standard way to read, write, and modify Java class files, helping developers work more efficiently with bytecode.

Vector API (Eighth Incubator): JEP 469

This API allows developers to write code that uses vector calculations, which can be processed more efficiently by certain CPUs, leading to better performance than normal calculations.

Stream Gatherers (Second Preview): JEP 473

This update improves the Stream API by supporting custom operations, making it easier to transform data in ways that were hard to do with existing features. It adds more flexibility to stream processing.

Structured Concurrency (Third Preview): JEP 480

This feature introduces a new API that simplifies working with multiple threads. It helps manage tasks running in different threads as a single unit, reducing common issues with task cancellation and shutdown.

Scoped Values (Third Preview): JEP 481

This feature allows immutable data to be shared across different threads, making concurrent programming simpler, clearer, and more efficient.

Runtime Optimizations

To optimize the runtime, some changes were done to generational mode and compiler integration also included:

ZGC: Generational Mode by Default: JEP 474

In Java 23, the Z Garbage Collector (ZGC) now uses generational mode by default. This change makes it more efficient by reducing the resources needed to support two modes, and it’s expected to improve performance for many applications.

Graal JIT Compiler Integration

Java 23 includes the Graal JIT compiler as an option in the Oracle JDK. Developers can now easily switch between different JIT compilers, which can help improve performance, especially for applications that need faster startup times.

To sum up, Java 23 introduces new features that improve coding efficiency, security, and performance, with updates in language, tools, libraries, and runtime. Key highlights include better pattern matching, easier module imports, improved concurrency, and optimizations.

Java 23 vs Java 22: Comparison table

Java 23 has brought several exciting new features and improvements compared to Java 22. The table below highlights the key differences.

Feature	Java 23	Jave 22
Record Patterns	Introduced to simplify data extraction from records.	Not available.
Virtual Threads (Preview)	New lightweight threads for improved concurrency and resource efficiency.	Not available.
Sequenced Collections	Added support for ordered collections that preserve insertion order.	Not available.
Foreign Function & Memory API	Enhanced API to safely interact with native code and memory (Incubator).	Limited or no support for native memory interactions.
Enhanced Random Number Generator (RNG)	Improved API with more flexible and secure random number generation.	Basic random number generation functionality.
JVM Performance Improvements	Optimized JVM for faster application startup and reduced memory usage.	Minor performance improvements over previous versions.
Pattern Matching for switch	Enhanced with new patterns for cleaner and more concise code.	Available, but less flexible compared to Java 23.
API Changes	More refined and intuitive APIs for better developer experience.	More basic APIs, with fewer enhancements.

Java 23 has new tools and improvements that make programming easier and more efficient compared to Java 22. These changes help developers build better applications with less effort and better performance.

Why Do Developers Still Prefer Java 8 and Java 11?

Even though newer versions of Java, like Java 17 or Java 23, bring exciting features, many developers still prefer using Java 8 and Java 11. Reasons for this are given below.

• Long-Term Support (LTS): Java 8 and Java 11 are LTS versions, which means they will receive updates and bug fixes for a long time. Oracle promises to support these versions for several years, making them reliable for big projects that need stability. 
• Mature Ecosystem and Tools: Java 8 and Java 11 have been around for several years, meaning developers have had time to build and refine many tools and libraries around these versions. These tools are stable and well-tested, making development smoother.
• Familiarity and Compatibility: Many developers are already familiar with Java 8 and Java 11. Switching to a newer version can sometimes involve learning new features and making changes to existing code. Since Java 8 and Java 11 are stable, many companies stick with them because they know how to work with them and how the code behaves.
• Performance and Stability: Java 8 and Java 11 have been heavily optimized over time. These versions are known for their high performance and stability, making them a good choice for large-scale applications or systems that need to run smoothly without issues.
• Feature Set: Java 8 and Java 11 introduced key features that are still widely used today:
  • Java 8: Introduced lambdas and the Stream API, which made it easier to write cleaner, more functional-style code.
  • Java 11: Added new features like better garbage collection and support for newer APIs while keeping the language simple.

Simply put, Java 8 and Java 11 are still popular because they offer stability, long-term support, great performance, and a well-established ecosystem. They provide enough features for most projects, and many developers are comfortable using them.

FAQs on Java 23

What Java version Should I use in 2025?

It depends entirely on you. Choose a version that you are comfortable with. Choose the one which has the most useful features for our project.

What happens if I don’t update Java?

If you don’t update Java, your software could become vulnerable to security risks, and you might miss out on important performance improvements and bug fixes.

Which version of Java do most companies use?

Most companies still use Java 8 or Java 11, as these are stable, well-supported versions with long-term support (LTS). However, some are starting to adopt Java 17 as well.

Let’s Summarize

Java keeps evolving and with each new version, new features are added. The aim of these updates is to make the functionality better. While newer versions are being released, the older versions of Java are still very popular among developers due to their long-term support, stability, and extensive ecosystem.

Whether you choose to adopt the latest Java 23 or stick with older versions, Java continues to evolve to meet the needs of developers and the demands of modern software development. If you want to build efficient Java applications using these versions of Java, partnering with a professional Java development company can be helpful.