Ava 25 has been officially released. As a Long Term Support (LTS) version, it is not only stable, but also brings a lot of new features. For developers, this means that they can use Java with confidence in the coming years, and beginners can also easily get started with these updates.
The update of Java 25 covers multiple aspects such as language syntax, concurrent programming, performance optimization, runtime monitoring, and security, with the goal of making Java more modern, efficient, and user-friendly.
Java 25, as a new LTS version, has indeed brought many updates. To be honest, many features may not be immediately useful in daily work, as many projects are still stuck on 8 or 11.
However, understanding the new version is still meaningful. Even if not transferred temporarily, one can still have a perception of the direction of language development. For example, the simplification of syntax and the improvement of concurrency models are likely to gradually enter the mainstream in the coming years.
I just experienced and organized it today.
1. Basic Type Pattern Matching (JEP 507, Preview)
Previously, in switch or instanceof, only object types could be judged, which was cumbersome and prone to errors in writing:
Java 25 allows direct matching of basic types:
Meaning: No longer requiring manual unpacking or forced conversion, code is simpler, safer, and easier to read.
2. Module Import Declaration (JEP 511)
When writing small projects or scripts in the past, importing packages was very cumbersome:
Java 25 supports importing the entire module at once:
3. Lighter Main Method (JEP 512)
Traditional Java programs require writing templates:
Java 25 can directly write:
Meaning: More suitable for quick experimentation, scripting, or beginners.
4. A more natural constructor (JEP 513)
Previously, constructors had to call super() first, making it difficult to prioritize validation logic
Java 25 supports input validation before calling super():
Meaning: Constructing logic is safer and more natural.
5 Compact Object Head (JEP 519)
Shrink the object header to 64 bits to reduce memory usage and improve caching efficiency.
For beginners, there is no need to modify the code, as performance automatically improves.
6. Generation Shenandoah GC (JEP 521)
Shenandoah GC supports partitioning, reduces latency, and improves throughput, making it suitable for high concurrency scenarios.
7. AOT Optimization (JEP 514&515)
Start faster
Preheating faster
Cloud native applications and microservices benefit significantly
8 JFR enhancement (JEP 509, 518, 520)
Java Flight Recorder supports:
CPU time analysis
Method performance tracking
Lower cost sampling
Meaning: The production environment has stronger observability.
9. Security updates (JEP 470, 510)
Built in PEM codec
Standardized KDF (PBKDF2, Argon2, etc.)
Meaning: Developers can directly use the official API to write more secure encryption logic.
10. Remove 32-bit x86 (JEP 503)
Only supports 64 bit systems, faster and cleaner, oriented towards modern hardware development.
summary
The core direction of Java 25:
More concise: pattern matching, compact source code, flexible constructor Record
Safer concurrency: structured concurrency Scoped Values、Stable Values
Higher performance: Vector API, Compact Object Header Shenandoah GC、AOT
Better observability: JFR, enhanced performance analysis tools
For beginners, these improvements make Java easier to get started with and more modern; For experienced developers, it has improved development efficiency, performance, and security.