Bytecode is the (mostly) invisible superpower of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Even though it’s an essential part of the Java ecosystem puzzle, it’s also a niche topic and behind-the-scenes feature that many of us do only have surface knowledge of. However, there’s a chicken-egg problem lurking within Bytecode libraries which the OpenJDK team intends to fix with JEP 484.

Generics are an indispensable feature in the world of Java programming, shaping how we write and interact with code. Despite their ubiquity and importance, many developers only scratch the surface of what Generics can do.

Dealing with unit conversion is always a pain point. At first, it seems simple enough until you hit the first edge-case. Just like with Date and Time (JSR 310), there’s a well-specified solution available, although not directly in the JDK: the Units of Measurement API (JSR 385).

Software development is a dynamic process, especially in the early stages of a project or when experimenting with new ideas. During these phases, files and overall structures can change frequently. Java, traditionally known for its strict organizational requirements, has made impressive strides to accommodate this fluidity and become more beginner-friendly.

The Stream API provides a rich and versatile set of intermediate operations, even though certain ops are still missing or are hard to implement with the given ones. Whereas terminal ops are quite customizable by writing our own Collector, an equivalent wasn’t available until now as a preview: Stream Gatherers.

The Foreign Function & Memory API, part of Project Pananama, improves Java’s interoperability with code and data outside the JVM. Calling native libraries and working with native memory becomes safer and more straightforward than using the fragile and often dangerous JNI.