Java after Kotlin: Should I?

Modern Java After Java 8: What Changed from Java 9 to 26 (and How It Lines Up with Kotlin) https://x.com/parfenov_vs I stopped using Java around Java 8 (like many Android devs), but Java kept shipping—and it’s clearly still everywhere in backend (Netflix included) and companies keep hiring for it. In this episode I go through the key releases from Java 9 up to Java 26 and share what actually changed: modules and JShell, var type inference, big cleanups in Java 11, switch expressions, text blocks, records, pattern matching, sealed classes, and various smaller syntax and API tweaks (some of which I like, some I’m not sold on). On the JVM side I cover GC evolution (G1, ZGC, Shenandoah), UTF‑8 becoming the default charset, FFM as a safer JNI alternative, and especially Project Loom—virtual threads and structured concurrency—which I think is the biggest ecosystem shift. My takeaway: modern Java is not behind anymore, and it’s a great time to start. 00:00 Why Revisit Java 00:34 Java 9 Modules and JShell 02:58 Java 10 Var Type Inference 04:23 Java 11 Cleanup and LTS 05:41 Java 12 Switch Expressions 06:35 Java 13 Text Blocks 07:26 Java 14 Records and Patterns 08:59 Java 15 Sealed Types 10:43 Java 16 and 17 LTS Evolution 12:13 Java 18 Charset and Web Server 12:55 Java 19 Loom and Panama Previews 15:00 Java 20 and 21 LTS Stabilization 18:36 Java 22 Underscore and Constructors 21:24 Java 23 Simpler Java and Imports 24:51 Java 24 and 25 Platform Focus 28:08 Java 26 Refinements and Future 30:25 Final Thoughts and Outro #java #jdk #Java9 #Java10 #Java11 #Java17 #Java21 #Java25 #Java26 #kotlin #androiddevelopers #backenddevelopment #jvm #programming #softwareengineering #ffm #garbagecollection #openjdk #android #androiddevelopment