Java 17 New Features with Examples Tutorial 2026

Welcome to this comprehensive tutorial on Java 17 new features with examples. Java 17, also known as Java 17 LTS, is a long-term support release that brings many exciting features and improvements to the Java ecosystem. In this tutorial, we will explore the new features of Java 17, along with examples and use cases.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the new features of Java 17, make sure you have a good understanding of the basics of Java programming. If you are new to Java, we recommend checking out our Java Algorithms tutorial to get started.

Java 17 New Features

Java 17 brings many new features and improvements, including:

• Sealed Classes
• Records
• Text Blocks
• Switch Expressions
• Pattern Matching for instanceof

Sealed Classes

Sealed classes are a new feature in Java 17 that allows you to restrict which classes can extend or implement a sealed class or interface. This feature is useful for creating closed hierarchies of classes.

public sealed class Animal permits Dog, Cat {
    public void sound() {
        System.out.println("Animal makes a sound");
    }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
    @Override
    public void sound() {
        System.out.println("Dog barks");
    }
}

class Cat extends Animal {
    @Override
    public void sound() {
        System.out.println("Cat meows");
    }
}

Records

Records are a new feature in Java 17 that allows you to create classes that mainly hold data. Records are useful for creating simple data carrier classes.

public record Person(String name, int age) {
    public void printPerson() {
        System.out.println("Name: " + name + ", Age: " + age);
    }
}

Text Blocks

Text blocks are a new feature in Java 17 that allows you to create multi-line string literals. Text blocks are useful for creating large blocks of text, such as JSON or XML data.

String json = """
{
    "name": "John Doe",
    "age": 30
}
""";

Switch Expressions

Switch expressions are a new feature in Java 17 that allows you to use the switch statement as an expression. Switch expressions are useful for simplifying complex conditional logic.

int result = switch (x) {
    case 1 -> 10;
    case 2 -> 20;
    default -> 0;
};

Pattern Matching for instanceof

Pattern matching for instanceof is a new feature in Java 17 that allows you to use pattern matching with the instanceof operator. This feature is useful for simplifying complex conditional logic.

if (obj instanceof String s) {
    System.out.println(s.length());
}

Common Mistakes

When using the new features of Java 17, there are some common mistakes to avoid. For example, when using sealed classes, make sure to use the permits keyword to specify which classes can extend or implement the sealed class or interface. For more information on SOLID Design Principles in Java, check out our tutorial.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Java 17 brings many exciting new features and improvements to the Java ecosystem. By following this tutorial, you should now have a good understanding of the new features of Java 17, along with examples and use cases. For more information on Java, check out our More Java Tutorials. If you are preparing for a Java interview, check out our Java Interview Questions. Finally, for more information on data management, check out our tutorial on Mastering SQL.