
These developers are willing to update frequently so they can use the latest and greatest features and plan to upgrade to each new Java version as it deploys to ensure continued support. Innovation: Migrate to the latest version.ĭevelopers keen on rapid innovation who want to leverage new features in production as soon as possible should migrate to the latest release. On what your’e trying to accomplish.”īefore committing to a specific version, you first need to understand your migration objective: Is it innovation or stability?

Now that you’ve decided to migrate to a newer Java version, the question becomes “Which version is the best fit for my needs?” The short answer is, ‘It depends. Improve staffing (not many Java developers still work on Java 5/6 projects).Īlthough migration projects require effort and budget, in the long run, there are no significant disadvantages of migrating to a newer Java version and plenty of benefits.Gain access to third-party Java libraries.

With public support for the Java 8 long-term support (LTS) version having ended in 2019 and the three-year tenure of Java 11 LTS coming to a close in 2021, the release of Java 17 LTS in September 2021 is a good catalyst to start planning a migration to the latest Java version (or at least a newer one than you are running now).Įach new version of Java introduces new language features and security improvements, but those aren’t the only reasons to consider an upgrade. Some long-term Java programmers originally balked at having to update so frequently. Java’s more agile release cadence with smaller, easy-to-implement features helps developers innovate and stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace.

Historically known for its slow release cadence, Oracle announced it were switching Java to a biannual feature release schedule, replacing the drawn-out three-year cycle that normally centered around major feature changes. When Java 10 was released in March 2018, Oracle overhauled the feature release schedule as well. To migrate or not to migrate? It’s not really a question.

Many companies that have relied on Java for years continue to run older versions, but recent changes to support for legacy versions and an accelerated feature release schedule have many IT teams wondering if now is a good time to migrate to the latest Java version. Much of Java’s popularity stems from its cross-functionality, portability, powerful development tools and increasing language diversity. Since 2012, the platform-independent language has ranked at or near the top of the list of most popular programming languages. Sun Microsystems first introduced Java to the development world in 1995.
