In the world of programming, stepping stones are crucial for novices to transition into proficient developers. This journey often begins with understanding the syntax and semantics of a given programming language. Java, being one of the popular programming languages, has always aimed to be an effective medium for both novices and experienced developers. The recent release of Java 21 introduced a core feature, known as Unnamed Classes and Instance Main Methods through JEP 445, aimed at simplifying the learning curve for new programmers, making it easier for them to write their first program without much fanfare and verbosity.

For this second episode of the Payara Podcast,Rachel Stephens,Senior Analyst at RedMonk (the developer-focused industry analyst company) and Steve Millidge,Payara Founder and CEO, discussed the case of Hashicorp.

Hashicorp, the vendor of Vagrant, Terraform and other deployment-automation tools, made a controversial change from Free and open source (FOSS) status to a Business Source License, in August 2023. 

As the leaves take on a golden hue and the cool breeze of October sets in, we're thrilled to bring to the table the latest iteration of the Payara Platform. The October 2023 release features 3 bug fixes, 9 component upgrades, 1 security fix and 1 improvement for Payara Enterprise 6.7.0. Payara Community 6.2023.10 also features 4 bug fixes, 9 component upgrades, 1 security fix and 1 improvement.

Devoxx Belgium 2023, the premier Java developer conference, held in Antwerp, Belgium is an event we eagerly anticipate. As representatives of Payara, a sponsor of the conference, we had the privilege of attending this year's gathering, which took place at the iconic Kinepolis Antwerpen Cinema.

Pattern Matching for switch, introduced in Java 21 via JEP 441, marks a significant enhancement to the Java programming language, offering a more expressive and compact way to handle complex decision blocks. This feature extends the existing switch construct by allowing patterns in case labels, thus facilitating more concise, readable, and safe code when dealing with multi-way comparisons​​.

Java 21 introduces the Foreign Function and Memory (FFM) API, which allows Java programs to interoperate with code and data outside the Java runtime. Java operates within a managed environment known as the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The JVM serves as an abstraction layer between the executing Java code and the underlying hardware and OS. One of the core design principles behind the JVM is to provide a secure and isolated environment for Java applications to run. This isolation is beneficial for several reasons, including security and stability; it mitigates risks such as unauthorized access to system resources or memory corruption, which could lead to vulnerabilities like buffer overflows.

In the ever-evolving landscape of enterprise applications, staying updated with the latest technologies is not just an option—it's a necessity for competitive advantage. The release of Jakarta EE 10 brought forth a myriad of enhancements that can significantly improve the scalability, security, and performance of your enterprise applications. But how do you make the transition smoothly? What are the best practices and strategies for upgrading?

In this recorded webinar tutorial - watch here -  we guide you through the essential steps and considerations for a successful upgrade. We will delve into the new features and improvements introduced in Jakarta EE 10 and why they make a compelling case for the upgrade.