The Java virtual machine (JVM) is a program whose sole purpose is to execute other programs. This simple idea has made Java one of the most successful and long-lived platforms of all time.

This latest version of Java, due to arrive as a production release on September 16, has 18 features. JDK 25 comes on the heels of JDK 24, a six-month-support release that arrived March 18.

A developer needs only to download Visual Studio's Java coding pack from Microsoft, and the installer takes care of the rest. Simply accept all the defaults and the VS Code for Java installer performs ...

For example, Java compiles to Java bytecode, which runs on the Java virtual machine (but not directly on any CPU).