JDK 21, released on September 19, 2023, marks a significant milestone in Java's evolution. It's a long-term support (LTS) release, ensuring stability and support from Oracle for at least eight years. In this release, Java developers are introduced to several new features, including virtual threads, record patterns, pattern matching for switch statements, the foreign function and memory API, and the ZGC garbage collector.
The Significance of Virtual Threads
Among these features, virtual threads stand out as a game-changer in the world of concurrent Java applications. Virtual threads have the potential to revolutionize the way developers write and manage concurrent code. They offer exceptional benefits, making them ideal for high-throughput concurrent applications.