Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the market today. Java 9 is the latest offering in the Java programming suite and comes with multiple innovations and changes, which may assist software development and QA teams in their daily work.
The new version of Java was released with almost 90 new features ranging from private interface methods to separate modularity across systems.
Java 9 has also shown improvements in performance, memory, documentation, compilation, use of hardware and graphics. All these improvements make Java 9 a force to reckon in the market, especially with new innovations coming up in the software development sphere. Java 9 has become a force to reckon in the software development market today, as many people prefer it over other software development solutions.
The new changes implemented within this new update have improved general UI and have provided a decent opportunity for developers to implement solutions. In this article, we take a look at how Java 9 has impacted software development and QA teams. These developments will come in handy in the long run and improve overall QA operations.
All That’s New
Perhaps the most compelling feature introduced by Java 9 is the introduction of modularity in Java. Project Jigsaw or modular Java has the potential to simplify the creation of code and provide easy maintenance options for developers working on programming.
Modularity has proven to be a wave of fresh air for developers on Java, as it allows them to maintain code easily. The traditional compilation method is followed in coding modularity, which can help create a class-path for code. What this means is that developers can compile code in smaller batches, rather than compiling it all together in one go.
You also get to choose the sections of your code you would want to remain visible to the masses, while others you would want to hid. Modularity has helped developers built additional security, while also simplifying the design task.
The modularity can also impact testers. For example, modularity can help make the testing of code a lot easier than before. Instead of running code tests on the entire project, developers can now run tests on particular modules to make sure that they work as expected.
JShell
Another feature of Java 9 that makes it easier to work on software development and QA is JShell. JShell is highly popular with developers, because it allows developers to run direct Java statements on the program, rater than writing all of their code in IDEs through Eclipse. JShell is simple to use and minimizes the effort of wrapping code into different methods on the platform. JShell can be usefull for quality assurance teams, as it comes handy for software testing. All software professionals that are new to Java will find JShell to be extremely helpful, especially as it cuts down on the quality assurance process.
The shell can make learning of Java declarations such as expressions and statements easier and can provide a guiding light for the future. JShell also gives you an option to type Java statements without actually having to confirm the specifications of your Java language.
JShell has also made the life of software development teams easier. Teams can now write down and print code easily, without having to follow standards set by the public static void string.
Moving to Java 9
Many companies have shifted to Java 9 to reduce the workload on their software development teams and QA teams. The shift to Java 9 comes with certain considerations, which are explained below.
Switching scripting languages and moving to a new language can be a tough task. Updating software and handling the migration process itself requires a lot of effort and dedication. Users should be mindful of certain critical consequences when they are moving towards Java 9.
First of all, organizations and developers should consider the level of effort that is involved in the migration process. The level of effort should include the effort towards migration and the testing process. Additionally, the teams should also consider the regression testing process is accurate and accounts for the features offered by older versions of Java. Finally, the teams should perform load tests and functional tests to make sure that new capabilities on Java 9 work as intended.
Before you split and rework your code for the migration, it is highly necessary that you ensure all project deliveries are running smoothly and aren’t impacted by the code. Automatic modules are usually created when you transfer a code from an older version of Java to Java 9. The automatic modules can come in handy at the start, but users should think of moving to truer modules, once they are done with the migration.
Importance of Testing
Regression testing itself is an important part of the migration process and shouldn’t be sidelined. All existing test scripts should be refactored so that they truly show the status of your application, after you have the move to Java 9 from an older version of Java or another programming platform.
Re-running all testing scenarios and steps after the migration will ensure that there are no new bugs present within the modules. The process will also ensure that the regression has not resulted in a failure. An automated testing tool is often the need of the hour to simplify the process and combat rising project size.
Java 9 is among the best rated software programming languages today and provides an upgrade over older versions. You can try it out to see the benefits in real and how they help you.
