Enhance Your Java Code with These Must-Know JDK 24 Features

Discover how JDK 24’s latest features can streamline your development, improve performance, and make your Java code more expressive than ever.

Java continues to evolve with each new release, and JDK 24 is no exception. This latest version introduces a host of powerful features that enhance performance, improve productivity, and add more expressiveness to the language. In this article, we’ll explore the top 10 game-changing features in JDK 24 that every Java developer should be aware of.

JDK 24 is Here! Game-Changing Features Every Java Developer Must Know
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1. Primitive Types in Patterns and instanceof (Preview)

With JDK 24, pattern matching support is extended to primitive types, enabling more expressive and safer type checks. This allows instanceof and switch to work directly with primitive values.

Benefits:

• Eliminates boilerplate casting.

• Enhances readability and type safety.

Example:

Object obj = 42;
if (obj instanceof int i) {
    System.out.println("Primitive int: " + i);
}

2. Record Patterns & Pattern Matching for switch (Final)

Two long-awaited features are now finalized:

• Record Patterns (JEP 440)

• Pattern Matching for switch (JEP 441)

These features allow for concise, readable, and type-safe deconstruction of data records.

Example:

record Person(String name, int age) {}

static void printPerson(Object obj) {
    switch (obj) {
        case Person(String name, int age) -> System.out.println(name + " is " + age);
        case null -> System.out.println("Null value");
        default -> System.out.println("Unknown type");
    }
}

3. Foreign Function & Memory API (Third Preview)

JEP 454 introduces an advanced and safer alternative to JNI. The Foreign Function & Memory API enables Java applications to interoperate with native libraries in a more controlled and memory-safe manner.

Use Cases:

• High-performance computing.

• Native library integrations.

• Games and multimedia applications.

4. Virtual Threads (Still Final)

Although finalized in JDK 21, Virtual Threads remain a cornerstone of Java’s concurrency model in JDK 24.

Key Points:

• Lightweight, cheap to create.

• Designed for scalability.

• Perfect for I/O-bound and highly concurrent applications.

Example:

Runnable task = () -> System.out.println(Thread.currentThread());
Thread.startVirtualThread(task);

5. Scoped Values (Incubator)

JEP 464 introduces Scoped Values, a more robust and safer alternative to ThreadLocal. These are designed for sharing immutable data within and across threads, especially virtual threads.

Benefits:

• Thread-safe context propagation.

• Cleaner and more maintainable code.

6. Class-File API (Preview)

JEP 457 delivers a new standard API for reading, writing, and analyzing .class files without relying on third-party libraries like ASM.

Ideal For:

• Tool developers.

• Static analyzers.

• Custom compilers and frameworks.

7. Statements Before super(...) (Preview)

JEP 447 allows developers to write statements before super(...) in constructors. This is particularly useful for initializing fields or validating inputs before calling a superclass constructor.

Example:

class Child extends Parent {
    Child(int x) {
        validate(x);
        super(x);
    }
}

8. Unnamed Variables and Patterns (Second Preview)

JEP 456 enables the use of _ to ignore variables or parts of a pattern that are not needed.

Use Cases:

• Cleaner switch statements.

• Avoids unnecessary variable declarations.

Example:

record Point(int x, int y) {}
switch (point) {
    case Point(_, int y) -> System.out.println("Y is " + y);
}

9. String Templates (Second Preview)

JEP 465 brings String Templates, allowing developers to write cleaner, more readable, and format-safe string construction logic.

Example:

String name = "Alice";
int age = 30;
String msg = STR."Hello, my name is \{name} and I am \{age} years old.";

10. Performance & GC Enhancements

JDK 24 brings significant performance improvements across GCs:

• G1: Improved pause times.

• ZGC: Better memory reclamation.

• Shenandoah: Reduced latency.

These changes enhance overall throughput and minimize memory-related issues in large-scale applications.

Conclusion

JDK 24 is a milestone release that delivers on both developer ergonomics and runtime efficiency. From modern language enhancements to deeper runtime integrations and performance boosts, this release is packed with features that make Java more powerful and enjoyable to work with.