Is Java 8 Too old?

Java 8 probably isn’t too old for that yet, but in a few years that will be similar to finding “Java 1.4 developers” right now. using an old software stack can severely limit your selection of useful third-party libraries and/or tools.

What version of Java should I use?

If you are just starting to code in Java, then use the most recent version. If you are using Java, then update to the most recent version. If you are worried about possibly running afoul of Oracle licensing or prefer to favour open source then download Java from https://jdk.java.net otherwise download from the OTN.

What were the different Java versions before 9?

Java versions before 9 simply had a different naming scheme. So, Java 8 can also be called 1.8, Java 5 can be called 1.5 etc. When you issued the ‘java -version’ command, with these versions you got output like this:

What version of Java should I learn first?

You do not just “learn” a specific Java version, like Java 12. Rather, you’ll get a good foundation in all language features up until Java 8. And then, you can learn, from a guide like this, what additional features came in Java 9-13 and use them whenever you can.

Can I upgrade to Java 7 from older versions?

Oracle offers updates to Java 7 only for customers who have purchased Java support or have Oracle products that require Java 7. How can I download an older versions of Java? Visit the Java Archive Download Page to get other versions of Java. We recommended installing the latest version of Java from java.com.

What is the Java class file format for Java SE 8?

The Java class file format has been updated for the Java SE 8 release. The class file version for Java SE 8 is 52.0 as per the JVM Specification. Version 52.0 class files produced by a Java SE 8 compiler cannot be used in earlier releases of Java SE.