Cay Horstmann: Java Still Vibrant After 30 Years

Duke’s Corner Java Podcast: Cay Horstmann: Java Still Vibrant After 30 Years

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Cay Horstmann, a professor, author, and Java Champion. In April 2025 in Cologne, Germany at JCON Cay received the Java Community Lifetime Achievement recognition from Sharat Chander on the Oracle Java Developer Relations Team.

This conversation covers the evolution of Java, the constant polishing of the library, the upcoming Java 25 release, the six-month release cycle, improvements in the Java language to make the technology more beginner friendly, teaching methodologies, conferences vs unconferences, and also timeless task-driven learning methods for students and developers to keep their skills sharp. Also, Cay has been writing books about Java for decades and years ago he was instrumental in initially getting Java integrated into the curriculum for the computer science AP exam in the United States.

“One of the reasons why Java is still so vibrant 30 years in is that there is a constant stream of low-level innovation going on. It’s pretty amazing.”

Java’s Vibrancy and Evolution

Java’s Continuous Low-Level InnovationTimestamp: 00:13:45–00:14:12Context: Cay discusses why Java remains vibrant after 30 years, emphasizing the impact of the Java six-month release cycle and the steady stream of incremental improvements. He contrasts this with how individual features might not seem groundbreaking alone in any given release, but cumulatively they drive significant progress. He also ties this process to the natural competition among programming languages, where Java’s consistent updates help it stay relevant

Published on 1 month ago

Podcast Episode Details

Cay Horstmann: Java Still Vibrant After 30 Years