What's New in Java (Live): Language and Native Interop

Java continues to evolve its language features while expanding its ability to interact with native code. This session focuses on improvements that make Java more expressive and flexible, as well as capabilities that bring it closer to the underlying system.

We will explore Primitive Patterns in instanceof and switch, Flexible Constructor Bodies, and the Foreign Function and Memory (FFM) API. These features improve how developers write conditional logic, construct objects, and integrate with native libraries, all while maintaining Java’s focus on safety and clarity.

This session highlights language and platform features that enhance expressiveness and extend Java’s reach beyond the JVM.

We begin with Primitive Patterns in instanceof and switch, which expand pattern matching to support primitive types. This allows developers to write clearer, more concise conditional logic, reducing boilerplate and improving readability in common control-flow scenarios.

Next, we explore Flexible Constructor Bodies, which relax previous constraints on constructor structure. Developers can perform logic before delegating to another constructor or superclass, enabling more natural object initialization and better alignment with real-world design needs.

Finally, we examine the Foreign Function and Memory (FFM) API, which provides a modern and safe way to interact with native code and memory. This API replaces many of the complexities of JNI, allowing Java applications to call native libraries and manage off-heap memory with greater clarity and control.

By the end of the session, attendees will understand how these features make Java more expressive as a language and more powerful as a platform, opening the door to cleaner code and new types of applications.

About Daniel Hinojosa

Daniel is a programmer, consultant, instructor, speaker, and recent author. With over 20 years of experience, he does work for private, educational, and government institutions. He is also currently a speaker for No Fluff Just Stuff tour. Daniel loves JVM languages like Java, Groovy, and Scala; but also dabbles with non JVM languages like Haskell, Ruby, Python, LISP, C, C++. He is an avid Pomodoro Technique Practitioner and makes every attempt to learn a new programming language every year. For downtime, he enjoys reading, swimming, Legos, football, and barbecuing.

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