What are the differences between Java 8 and Java 17 in terms of new features and changes?

Many changes and additions have occurred between Java 8 and Java 17. Here are the key differences:

• Java 8 (2014):

  • Introduction of Stream API for functional-style collection processing.
  • Lambda expressions and functional interfaces.
  • Interfaces with default methods.
  • New date-time API (java.time).

• Java 17 (2021):

  • This is an LTS version with many performance and security improvements.
  • Introduction of sealed classes and interfaces to restrict inheritance.
  • Records — compact immutable classes for data storage.
  • Pattern Matching for instanceof and switch (starting from previous versions but stabilized in 17).
  • Improvements in Garbage Collector (e.g., ZGC).
  • New APIs and enhancements in existing ones (e.g., Foreign Function & Memory API in incubator).

Thus, Java 17 extends the language and platform capabilities, making code more expressive, safe, and performant compared to Java 8.