The Java Development Kit (JDK) 24 is gearing up to be a significant release, with six new features proposed to enhance the programming experience. Following the recent release of JDK 23, the Java community is abuzz with excitement as work begins on the next iteration, due out on March 18, 2025.

The proposed features include stream gatherers, a vector API, a class-file API, warnings on unsafe uses of the Java Native Interface, and improvements to the G1 garbage collector. These updates aim to make Java more efficient, flexible, and secure, with a focus on reducing maintenance costs and enhancing performance.

One notable feature is the removal of the non-generational mode in the Z Garbage Collector, which will eventually be replaced by the generational mode. This change is expected to simplify the development of new features and reduce long-term maintenance costs.

Another significant proposal is the introduction of stream gatherers, which will allow for custom intermediate operations in stream pipelines. This feature has been in preview since JDK 22 and is expected to be finalized in JDK 24.

The vector API, which has been incubated since JDK 16, is designed to provide superior performance to scalar computations on supported CPU architectures. The class-file API, previously previewed in JDK 22 and JDK 23, will be finalized in JDK 24, providing a standard API for parsing, generating, and transforming Java class files.

With JDK 24 designated as a non-long-term support (LTS) release, Oracle will provide only six months of Premier-level support. This means that users will need to upgrade to a newer version or an LTS release, such as JDK 25, which is due out in September 2025, to receive continued support.