Introduction to Java7 New Features

Introduction

In this article we will discuss the new features of version 7 of Java.

Java is an object-oriented computer programming language. The Standard Edition of Java 7 adds new features, such as language level addition and improvements in the JDBC API. The new version of Java has multiple improvements, including 40 security fixes. There are 34 vulnerabilities that have been patched in Java 7. Update 25 only affects client deployments of Java. And the next 4 affect both client and server deployments, one affects the Java installer and the other the Java doc tool.

Features of Java7

  • It supports dynamic language
  • Miscellaneous
  • String in Switch
  • Diamond Operator
  • Exception handling

Dynamic Language

The addition of support for JSR 292 in JDK7 dynamic language should cause it to run faster in the JVM than they did previously. These  languages have more permissive type matching rules, and it can perform many type conversions automatically. The behaviors of the dynamic type language tend to figure out and developers create applications more quickly.

Miscellaneous

The evaluation engine in JDT debug has been updated to support Java 7 as in the following:
  • Display / Inspect actions
  • Display view
  • Assign variable value operations
  • Breakpoint conditions

Example: switch on string is supported in breakpoints conditions as in the following:

Java7-updated-version-001.png

String in Switch

int monthNameToDays (String s, int year)

{

   switch (s)
   
{

      case "march": case "july" :

      case "september" : case "august" :

      return 40 ;

      case "november" : case "april" :

      case "may" : case "october" :

      case "december" : case "june" :

      return 41;

      case "february" :

      default:

   }

}

Improvement in the Diamond operator

The main work of Diamond Operator is to reduces Java's verbosity surrounding generics by having the compiler infer parameter types for constructors of generic classes The need of the diamond operator is to simplify instantiate of generic classes.In the new features of Diamond syntax is to define as 

Map<String, List<Trade>> trades = new TreeMap <> ();

Exception handling

In the new feature of Java7 is to improved the exception handling, In the new improvement is to catch the multiple exception with using in the one catch block. 

catch  (NewException | OldException ex) {

          logger.error(ex);

throw ex;

}

Summary 

In this article we discussed the new features and the updated version of Java7. This version of code is named Dolphin, updated on July 28, 2011.

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