Why Java 8 Still Dominates? Reasons and Causes

Even though Java 11 is now available, most Java developers are still using Java 8 or older versions, according to a new poll of Java professionals. What might be the reason behind this? Read the article further to know more

Features in Java 8

The most important features of Java 8 are listed below.

• Lambda expressions
• Method references
• Stream API
• Collectors class
• ForEach() method
• IO Enhancements
• Default methods
• Functional interfaces
• Parallel array sorting
• Static methods in the interface
• Optional class
• Nashorn JavaScript Engine
• Parallel Array Sorting
• JDBC Enhancements
• Type and Repeat Annotations
• Concurrency Enhancement

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Why does Java 8 still dominate?

• Long-Term Support versions of Java are Java 8 and Java 11 (LTS). None of the other versions has that feature. If a version lacks LTS, it will influence whether or not it is used in a production setting. Many firms would require at least a complete cycle of QA and regression testing before implementing a new Java version in production, and the frequency and absence of LTS for many of those versions makes it difficult to switch to a new version if you will have to move again.
• Oracle significantly altered the way Java is licensed in 2018, which is one of the reasons why many people have yet to upgrade to Java 11 LTS. Oracle has divided the community in an attempt to commercialize Java by fundamentally modifying the licensing conditions – and this is harmful to Java as a development platform.
• The adoption of newer versions will be slow until Oracle no longer supports Java 8.

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Which Version of Java is the Best?

According to many sources, in 2019, Java SE 8 is still the chosen production standard. Even though both 9 and 10 have been launched, neither will have LTS. Now a few people are preferring Java 11 as well due to the LTS feature.

Why is Java 8 Still Popular?

• The fact that Java 8 is an LTS (Long-Term Support) version is one of the main reasons for its continued popularity. Regrettably, not all Java versions are LTS versions. Only Java 8 (2014) and Java 11 (2018) have been recognised as having LTS since the policy was implemented. All subsequent versions, including Java 14 and the anticipated Java 15 (September 2020), will be LTS-free. From a business standpoint, no company should contemplate bringing a system into production that relies on a Java version that does not have LTS.
• Oracle announced significant changes to the way Java is licenced back in 2018. If a company uses Java 11+ commercially, they will have to pay for it starting in 2019. This means that upgrading from Java 8 to Java 11, the next LTS version, might have substantial financial and legal consequences. This has undoubtedly been a stumbling block to Java 11 adoption in several circumstances.
• The OpenJDK is an alternative to Oracle’s official JDK (Java Development Kit). Oracle’s open-source JDK is known as OpenJDK. Some organisations have been hesitant to use the OpenJDK or have been confused between the two versions owing to historical differences between the Oracle JDK and the OpenJDK, as well as variations in support policy (the OpenJDK only supports updates to the most current release) (not least due to the very similar names). There are also additional OpenJDK versions, such as Amazon Corretto and AdoptOpenJDK, that might add to the confusion.
• Before Java 9, commercial organizations frequently preferred stability over change, and the frequency with which Java changed was rather low. Between the release of Java 7 and Java 8, there was a three-year gap. Since Java 9, however, the rate of change has accelerated, with a new version released every six months (usually March and September). In just three years, we’ll have progressed from Java 9 to Java 15. Each of these updates adds new features, deprecates (or eliminates) old ones, and frequently modifies the way programs are run. This may cause organizations to be hesitant to accept newer versions since they may introduce new technological issues every six months.

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Why are Most Companies Stuck on Java 8?

Any widely-used component of an application with 500,000 lines of code that has been under development for a decade or longer is extremely dangerous to upgrade. It’s unlikely that every line of that codebase has been thoroughly tested as thoroughly as it has been used, so upgrading something as basic as the Java VM is essentially releasing something that should be treated as a brand-new application, rather than an app that has been running for years, with all the stability that implies.

What is Java 8 Lambda?

One of the key innovations of Java 8 is Java Lambda, which uses an expression to describe a single method interface. Developers may use Java Lambda expressions to write code in a functional approach. As a result, the developer saves a lot of time and work. Java Lambda eliminates the need for developers to specify a method several times. “They execute in the context of their appearance,” is the most important property of Java Lambda.

Reasons to Move on From Java 8?

• Java 8’s free commercial support ceased in January 2019. Support for Java 11 is provided until 2024 via the OpenJDK via Amazon Corretto or AdoptOpenJDK. It should be noted, however, that extended Java 11 support is only accessible until September 2026. (unlike Java 8 which has extended support until December 2030).
• In Java 9, modules were introduced. They’re useful for encapsulating a body of code and its dependencies. This eliminates the issues caused by a single classpath and library version hell.
• Between Java 8 and Java 11, the Java runtime environment (or JVM) has undergone significant modifications. These adjustments can dramatically enhance an application’s performance (see GraalVM and the Z Garbage Collector).
• Type inference is used by the compiler in several current programming languages, such as Kotlin and Scala, to determine the type of a variable. This decreases the amount of boilerplate code and simplifies the declaration of variables. The var keyword was introduced in Java 10 and allows the following code to be written:

“HashMap<String, String> data = new HashMap<String, String> (); “

The article has discussed many things regarding the best features of Java 8 and the reasons why it is still the most popular version of Java even during most recent surveys. The reason for the reluctance of people to move to other versions is also stated quite clearly. Download the Entri app to learn the latest updates and patterns in the coding industry.

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