● Covered by 1 source · 8 reportsMedium impact8 neutral
JDK 28 Targets New Features, JDK 27 Release Candidate Delayed
Key points
- JEP 539 (Strict Field Initialization) targeted for JDK 28.
- JEP 401 (Value Objects) targeted for JDK 28.
- JEP 535 (Shenandoah GC: Generational Mode by Default) targeted for JDK 28.
- JDK 27 release candidate delayed to August 20, 2026.
- Oracle released July 2026 Critical Patch Update.
- Simple JSON API proposed for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 (Deprecate the macOS/x64 Port for Removal) proposed for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 review concludes August 21, 2026.
- JEP 540 (Simple JSON API) moved from Candidate to Proposed to Target status.
- JEP 540 will ship in the incubating jdk.incubator.json module.
- JEP 540 API centers on the Json class and the sealed JsonValue interface.
- JsonValue permits six non-sealed subinterfaces.
- JEP 540 instances are immutable and thread-safe.
- JDK 27 is a non-LTS release.
- JDK 27 is scheduled for formal release on September 15, 2026.
- JDK 27 includes nine new features.
- JDK 27 features are across Core Java Library, HotSpot, Security Library, and Java Language Specification.
- JEP 531 (Lazy Constants) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 533 (Structured Concurrency) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 537 (Vector API) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 523 (Make G1 the Default Garbage Collector in All Environments) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 534 (Compact Object Headers by Default) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 536 (JFR In-Process Data Redaction) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JDK 27 release candidate 1 is available.
- JEP 542 (PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects) targeted for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 proposes deprecating macOS/x64 port because Apple no longer supports this architecture.
- JEP 541 intends to remove the port in a future release to save on maintenance costs.
- JEP 540 implements RFC 8259, The JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Data Interchange Format.
- JEP 540 supersedes JEP 198, Light-Weight JSON API, which is closed and withdrawn.
- GraalVM 25.3 released with performance and security improvements.
- Jakarta Data 1.1.0 reached its fourth milestone.
- Docker images for GlassFish 8.0.4 are available.
- Early-access builds for JDK 27 and JDK 28 are available.
- Atmosphere 4.0 was released.
- WildFly 41 received a maintenance release.
- Eclipse JNoSQL released milestone versions.
- Open Liberty September 2026 edition is in beta.
- JEP 542 was previewed in JDK 25, JDK 26, and JDK 27.
- JEP 542 provides an API for encoding/decoding cryptographic objects to/from PEM format.
- JEP 542 supports conversions between PEM text and PKCS #8 and X.509 binary formats.
- JEP 542 reclassified the PEM record class to a regular class.
- JEP 542 renamed the DEREncodable interface to BinaryEncodable.
JDK 28 Feature Advancements
Three significant Java Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) have been targeted for inclusion in JDK 28. JEP 539, "Strict Field Initialization in the JVM (Preview)," introduces strictly-initialized fields that must be initialized before being read, preventing default values like 0 or null from being observed. This feature is intended for use by compilers that emit class files.
JEP 401, "Value Objects (Preview)," proposes to enhance the Java language with value objects. These objects are defined by having only final fields, no identity, and being distinguished solely by the values of their respective fields. This JEP was formerly known as "Object Classes and Values (Preview)."
JEP 535, "Shenandoah GC: Generational Mode by Default," designates the Shenandoah Garbage Collector to operate in generational mode by default. The non-generational mode will be deprecated with the intention of removing it in a future release.
JDK 27 Release Candidate Postponed
The initial release candidate for JDK 27, originally scheduled for August 6, 2026, has been delayed by two weeks and is now set for August 20, 2026. Mark Reinhold, Chief Architect of the Java Platform Group at Oracle, announced this change to align with the August 18, 2026, Critical Patch Update (CPU).
Build 34 of the JDK 27 early-access builds was released, including fixes from Build 33.
Other Java Updates
Oracle released its July 2026 Critical Patch Update, which includes updates for multiple JDK versions. Additionally, JEP 540, "Simple JSON API (Incubator)," and JEP 541, "Deprecate the macOS/x64 Port for Removal," have moved to Candidate status for JDK 28.
Other releases include Embabel 1.0, Azul Payara 7.2.0, and Helidon 4.5.1. The sixth release candidate of Maven 4.0 and the first milestone release of Jakarta Agentic AI 1.0 were also noted.
Updates
- GraalVM 25.3 released with performance and security improvements.
- Jakarta Data 1.1.0 reached its fourth milestone.
- Docker images for GlassFish 8.0.4 are available.
- Early-access builds for JDK 27 and JDK 28 are available.
- Atmosphere 4.0 was released.
- WildFly 41 received a maintenance release.
- Eclipse JNoSQL released milestone versions.
- Open Liberty September 2026 edition is in beta.
- JEP 542 was previewed in JDK 25, JDK 26, and JDK 27.
- JEP 542 provides an API for encoding/decoding cryptographic objects to/from PEM format.
- JEP 542 supports conversions between PEM text and PKCS #8 and X.509 binary formats.
- JEP 542 reclassified the PEM record class to a regular class.
- JEP 542 renamed the DEREncodable interface to BinaryEncodable.
- JDK 27 release candidate 1 is available.
- JEP 542 (PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects) targeted for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 proposes deprecating macOS/x64 port because Apple no longer supports this architecture.
- JEP 541 intends to remove the port in a future release to save on maintenance costs.
- JEP 540 implements RFC 8259, The JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Data Interchange Format.
- JEP 540 supersedes JEP 198, Light-Weight JSON API, which is closed and withdrawn.
- JDK 27 is a non-LTS release.
- JDK 27 is scheduled for formal release on September 15, 2026.
- JDK 27 includes nine new features.
- JDK 27 features are across Core Java Library, HotSpot, Security Library, and Java Language Specification.
- JEP 531 (Lazy Constants) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 533 (Structured Concurrency) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 537 (Vector API) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 523 (Make G1 the Default Garbage Collector in All Environments) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 534 (Compact Object Headers by Default) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 536 (JFR In-Process Data Redaction) is a new feature in JDK 27.
- JEP 540 (Simple JSON API) moved from Candidate to Proposed to Target status.
- JEP 540 will ship in the incubating jdk.incubator.json module.
- JEP 540 API centers on the Json class and the sealed JsonValue interface.
- JsonValue permits six non-sealed subinterfaces.
- JEP 540 instances are immutable and thread-safe.
- Simple JSON API proposed for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 (Deprecate the macOS/x64 Port for Removal) proposed for JDK 28.
- JEP 541 review concludes August 21, 2026.
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Primary sources
GitHub openjdk/jdk GitHub embabel/embabel-agent GitHub payara/Payara GitHub helidon-io/helidon CVE CVE-2024-93429.8 CRITICAL GitHub junit-team/junit-frameworkHow outlets covered it
This week's Java news includes the release of GraalVM 25.3 with performance and security improvements, the fourth milestone of Jakarta Data 1.1.0, and Docker images for GlassFish 8.0.4. Additionally, JEP 542 for PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects has been targeted for JDK 28, and early-access builds for JDK 27 and JDK 28 are available.
The first release candidate of JDK 27 is available, alongside updates for JDK 28 including JEP 541 to deprecate the macOS/x64 port, JEP 540 for a Simple JSON API, and JEP 542 to finalize PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects. These changes impact Java development by introducing new features and removing support for older architectures, affecting developers who use macOS/x64 or require built-in JSON parsing and cryptographic object encoding.
JDK 27, a non-LTS release, has reached its first release candidate and is scheduled for formal release on September 15, 2026. This version includes nine new features across Core Java Library, HotSpot, Security Library, and Java Language Specification, introducing updates like Structured Concurrency (Seventh Preview) and making G1 the default garbage collector.
JEP 540, the Simple JSON API (Incubator), has been proposed to target JDK 28, introducing a compact, built-in API for parsing, navigating, and generating RFC 8259 JSON documents. This API provides a standard way for Java developers to handle common JSON tasks without external dependencies, focusing on strictness and immutability.
A Simple JSON API has been proposed for JDK 28 to standardize JSON parsing and generation without external libraries, while the macOS/x64 port is slated for deprecation. Jakarta EE 12 continues to progress with multiple specifications reaching milestone releases, including Jakarta Agentic AI 1.0 M1. These updates indicate ongoing development in core Java functionality and enterprise Java specifications.
The initial release candidate for JDK 27 has been delayed by two weeks to August 20, 2026, to align with a Critical Patch Update. Additionally, JEP 535, which makes Shenandoah GC's generational mode the default, is now targeted for JDK 28.
Several OpenJDK Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) have advanced in status for JDK 28, including JEP 539 for Strict Field Initialization and JEP 401 for Value Objects, both now targeted for the release. JEP 535, Shenandoah GC: Generational Mode by Default, is also proposed to target JDK 28, indicating upcoming changes to Java's core language features and garbage collection. These updates introduce new capabilities and performance improvements for Java developers.
Several Java Enhancement Proposals (JEPs) for JDK 28 have advanced, including Strict Field Initialization and Value Objects, while a Simple JSON API and the deprecation of the macOS/x64 port moved to Candidate status. Oracle also released its July 2026 Critical Patch Update for multiple JDK versions and announced more frequent CPU releases.