More than one-third of professional Java developers surveyed by Perforce JRebel were using the eight-year-old version of Java for their main application.
Despite its age, Java 8 continues to hold the top spot in Java usage according to a recent survey conducted by Perforce and sponsored by JRebel. This survey, which covered 876 Java development professionals from October 2021 to January 2022, revealed that Java 8 is still the primary choice for 37% of respondents’ main applications. This enduring popularity underscores the robustness and reliability of Java 8, despite the introduction of newer versions.
Following Java 8, Java 11, which was released in September 2018, is the second most-used version. It is utilized by 29% of the respondents. Both Java 8 and Java 11 are Long-Term Support (LTS) releases, which means they receive several years of product support from Oracle, making them a reliable choice for many enterprises.
In contrast, non-LTS releases, such as Java 9, Java 10, and Java 12 through Java 15, offer only six months of support. These versions, while introducing new features, lack the extended support lifecycle of LTS releases, which might explain their lower adoption rates among developers.
The survey also highlighted that 12% of developers are using Java versions from 12 or newer. Other languages and versions such as Kotlin (8%), Groovy (6%), Java 7 or older (5%), and Scala (3%) are also used but in smaller proportions. This suggests that while Java remains dominant, there is a growing interest in alternative JVM languages and newer Java versions.
Looking ahead, the survey found that a significant portion of developers are planning to upgrade to JDK 17, which is another LTS release. Specifically, 37% of respondents aim to transition to JDK 17 within the next six months, and 25% plan to upgrade within the following six to 12 months. JDK 17, released in September 2021, introduces several new features and improvements, making it a compelling choice for future-proofing Java applications.
The upcoming JDK 18, a non-LTS release scheduled for March 22, 2022, may also influence future upgrades. However, given its non-LTS status, it is likely to see less adoption compared to JDK 17. The JRebel-branded 2022 Java Developer Productivity Report provides detailed insights into these trends and highlights the current state of Java technologies and development practices.