Key Difference Between Java 7 and Java 8
Definition of Java 7: Oracle’s first major Java version since Sun Microsystems’ merger was Java 7. The final takeover by Oracle Corporation occurred on January 27, 2010. The US tech giant celebrated Java Standard Edition 7 with an event.
Oracle’s Java SE 7 introduction showed its commitment to speech and technology. Sun Microsystems, which created Java, was a victory for IT giants. Sun Microsystems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oracle Corporation, runs the Sun server, MySQL, Solaris storage, and network gear.
The new edition features many rapid-progressing programming advances. Java 7 had several bug improvements, increased support for dynamic non-Java languages, and generic class development interference support.
Java 7 vs Java 8 Comparison Table
The following table compares Java 7 and Java 8’s main differences:
| Feature | Java 7 | Java 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | July 28, 2011 | March 18, 2014 |
| Lambda Expressions | Not supported | Introduced lambda expressions for functional programming |
| Functional Interfaces | No explicit support for functional interfaces | Introduced functional interfaces with default and static methods |
| Streams API | Absent | Introduced Streams API for functional-style operations on sequences of elements |
| Date and Time API | java.util.Date and java.util.Calendar classes with limitations | java.time package introduced for a comprehensive and modern Date and Time API |
| Default Methods | Absent | Introduced default methods in interfaces to provide backward compatibility |
| Nashorn JavaScript Engine | Absent | Introduced Nashorn, a new JavaScript engine, as a replacement for Rhino |
| Parallel Array Sorting | Arrays.sort() method, but no direct support for parallel sorting | Added parallel sorting support for arrays and Lists |
| Type Annotations | Limited support for annotations on types | Enhanced support for repeating annotations and introduced Type Annotations |
| String Joiner | Absent | Introduced java.util.StringJoiner for joining strings with a delimiter |
| try-with-resources | Introduced try-with-resources statement for automatic resource management | Continued support for try-with-resources with enhancements |
| Project Coin | Introduced small language enhancements (diamond operator, strings in switch, etc.) | Continued support for Project Coin enhancements and introduced new language features |
| Concurrency Enhancements | java.util.concurrent package enhancements | Enhanced CompletableFuture, new Date and Time API improves concurrency support |
| Security Enhancements | Limited security enhancements | Introduced enhancements in security, including TLS 1.2 support |
| Performance Improvements | Some performance improvements | Improved performance in various areas, including the Streams API |
| Method References | Absent | Introduced method references for more concise code |
| Compact Profiles | Absent | Introduced compact profiles to reduce the footprint of the Java runtime |
| JVM PermGen Removal | PermGen memory space still present | Removed PermGen space and introduced Metaspace for metadata storage |