Java Development Kit (JDK) 23, the next planned version of standard Java, is off and running, with four features now scheduled for the release. The latest two additions are a vector API, which will be incubated for the eighth time, and a second preview of stream gatherers.
Due September 19, JDK 23 also will include a second preview of a class-file API and a preview of primitive types in patterns, instanceof, and switch.
The vector API, which has been incubated in previous Java versions from JDK 16 to last month’s JDK 22, introduces an API to express vector computations that reliably compile at run time to optimal vector instructions on supported CPU architectures. Goals of the proposal include providing a clear and concise API, providing reliable runtime compilation and performance on x64 and AArch64 architectures, providing graceful degradation, being platform-agnostic, and aligning with Project Valhalla, which is intended to augment the Java object model with value objects.
