In this chapter, we will explore the newly implemented, time-based versioning system for the Java platform. We will survey the current Java landscape with a specific focus on changes introduced with Java 9, 10 (18.3), and 11 (18.9). Our exploration will include an overview of Java 9's modularity, Java Shell, external process control, garbage collection, Java Microbenchmark Harness (JMH), and more. For Java 10, we will highlight key changes to include local variable type inference, Java Development Kit (JDK) consolidation, garbage collection, application class-data sharing (CDS), root certificates, and more. Finally, we will explore changes introduced in Java 11, including dynamic class-file constants, garbage collection, local variable type inference for Lambdas, and more.

Things we will learn by the end of this chapter include:

• Understanding the Java platform's new versioning model
• Understanding the significance of Java 9
• Benefiting from changes introduced with Java 10 
• Benefiting from changes introduced with Java 11