Java 17 Features and Their Impact on Full-Stack Development

Introduction:
A new Java version is released twice a year. In most of the new versions, we can see small improvements over the previous one. Till date Java 8 is the most commonly used Java version, but now it has lost its Oracle Premier Support. After Java 8, Java 17 holds deeper significance, as this is now a new long term support version with Oracle Premier Support that will last until September 2026. So is this the time to shift to Java 17 from Java 8? Let’s try to find out along with the discussion of the new Java 17 features and their impact on Full Stack Development in this article. We will also discuss where you can get the best Full Stack Java programming language course in Pune.

We will discuss only the important changes and updates in Java 17 which are most useful for full stack developers.

Sealed classes & interfaces:
Sealed classes were initially proposed in Java 15 as a preview feature, and now it is available in Java 17 as a full feature. Only types are capable of inheriting sealed classes or interfaces (i.e. classes and interfaces) that have the necessary permissions. As stated differently, sealed classes and interfaces cannot be extended except by the classes or interfaces allowed.
The final keyword can also be used to prevent inheritance, but doing so would prevent you from defining which types are allowed to extend classes and interfaces. Using a private constructor in a class is an additional approach, but it has the same drawback and would also prohibit the class from being instantiated. The bottom line is that, although a superclass should be generally accessible, it should not be extensively available for extension. However, a super-class shouldn't restrict its sub-classes by making them final and preventing them from having the ability to define their own states.

Pattern matching for switch statements in Java:
A pattern consists of a set of pattern variables that are conditionally extracted if the pattern matches the target, and a match predicate that determines whether the pattern matches the target.
Pattern matching improves the eloquence and usefulness of switch expressions and statements by using patterns in case labels. Type patterns, guarded patterns, parenthesized patterns, and other categories are among the various sorts of patterns that exist.

Strongly Encapsulate JDK Internals:
All internal JDK components are strongly encapsulated, with the exception of essential ones like sun.misc.unsafe. It will not be possible to simplify the strict encapsulation of internal components with a single command-line argument, as it was from JDK 9 to JDK 16.
This feature will prevent JDK users from accessing internal APIs.

Foreign Function and Memory API (Incubator):
Java developers can manage memory outside of the heap and access code from outside the JVM with the Foreign Function and Memory API. The goal is to replace the JNI API and improve its security and performance compared to the old one.

Conclusion:
All the above features are very useful for Full Stack web developers in many different ways. For example, with the help of sealed classes and interfaces we can now restrict functionality to a particular hierarchy or to some specific classes as per the need of the application. Pattern matching helps in achieving multiple functionalities based on different conditions in object oriented way.
Now Full Stack developer’s cannot use JDK internal features as applications are hosted in multiple servers, which will help in maintaining the uniformity of the functionalities. Foreign functions and memory APIs help to access code from the outside JVM and manage memory outside the heap. This will be great for the web applications deployed on multiple servers or machines and parts of the applications running in multiple JVMs.

Best Full Stack Java programming language course in Pune:
If you want to start a career in the IT Industry, as a Full Stack Java Developer and you are searching for the best Full Stack Java programming language course in Pune, we are here to teach you and develop all the required skills in you. We also provide daily live training sessions in our online batches. Along with our offline and online training programmes, we provide 100% guaranteed interview calls from reputed IT companies. Apart from technical training, we teach the required soft skills, like English speaking, communication skills, personality development, resume building, etc. Group discussions and mock interviews also increase your confidence. That will be very helpful to you as you start your career as Full Stack Java Developer.