Java 8 vs Java 11 vs Java 17: Which to use and why it matters in real-world projects

Short summary

Java 8 introduced lambdas and streams for modern functional programming; Java 11 added a standard HTTP client and modularity improvements; Java 17 brings records and sealed classes as the foundation for Spring Boot 3 and cloud-native applications. Most enterprises still run Java 8 legacy systems, while new projects adopt Java 17.

• •Java 8 (2014): Lambdas, Streams, Optional, and new Date API transformed Java development
• •Java 11 (2018): Standardized HTTP Client, var in lambdas, and modular JDK for easier migration
• •Java 17 (2021): Records and Sealed Classes support modern Spring Boot 3 and cloud-native architecture

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.