Java 17

Java 17 is a long-term support (LTS) release of the Java platform, with a number of new features and enhancements. Here is a comparison of some of the key upgraded features in Java 17 with Java 11 and older versions:

Sealed classes allow you to restrict the subtypes of a class. This can make code more robust and secure.

Pattern matching for switch provides a new and more concise way to write switch statements. It is also more powerful, supporting features such as type guards and destructuring.

Records are a new type of class that is designed to be used for data modeling. They are lightweight and easy to create, and they provide a number of features that make them ideal for this purpose, such as immutability, deconstruction, and toString() and equals() methods.

Text blocks provide a new way to write string literals in Java. They make it easier to write long and complex strings, and they also provide a number of features that make them more readable and maintainable, such as indentation support and triple quotes.

Enhanced pseudo-random number generators provide a new and more efficient way to generate random numbers. They are also more secure, resistant to certain attacks.

New macOS rendering pipeline provides a new rendering pipeline for macOS that is based on Metal. This can improve the performance and stability of Java applications on macOS.

In addition to these key features, Java 17 also includes a number of other smaller enhancements, such as the new Foreign Function and Memory API, the new Vector API, and the new deserialization filters based on context.

Overall, Java 17 is a significant upgrade over Java 11 and older versions of the Java platform, with a number of new features and enhancements that make it easier, more efficient, and more expressive to write Java code.

Here are some examples of how the new features in Java 17 can be used to improve code:

Sealed classes:

Java

```
sealed class Shape permits Circle, Square, Rectangle {
  // ...
}

class Circle extends Shape {
  // ...
}

class Square extends Shape {
  // ...
}

class Rectangle extends Shape {
  // ...
}

```

In this example, the `Shape` class is sealed, which means that only the `Circle`, `Square`, and `Rectangle` classes can extend it. This prevents other classes from extending the `Shape` class, which can make code more robust and secure.

Pattern matching for switch:

Java

```
int number = 10;

switch (number) {
  case 1:
    // ...
    break;
  case 2:
    // ...
    break;
  case 3:
    // ...
    break;
  default:
    // ...
    break;
}

```

This traditional switch statement is verbose and can be difficult to read and maintain.

Java

```
int number = 10;

switch (number) {
  case 1, 2, 3 -> {
    // ...
  }
  default -> {
    // ...
  }
}

```

This switch statement uses pattern matching to make it more concise and readable. It is also more powerful, supporting features such as type guards and destructuring.

Records:

Java

```
record Person(String name, int age) {}

```

This record class is lightweight and easy to create. It also provides a number of features that make it ideal for data modeling, such as immutability, deconstruction, and toString() and equals() methods.

Text blocks:

Java

```
String textBlock = """
This is a text block.
It can be used to write long and complex strings.
It also supports indentation and triple quotes.
""";

```

This text block is easier to read and maintain than a traditional string literal. It is also more efficient, because it does not require the Java compiler to escape any special characters.

Enhanced pseudo-random number generators:

Java

```
var random = new Random();

int randomNumber = random.nextInt(100);

```

This code uses the traditional Java pseud