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Java 5 • 2004
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GenericsAnnotationsEnumsEnhanced for-loopAutoboxing/unboxing

All About Java 5

Big language leap: generics, annotations, enums, enhanced for-loop.

Release overview

Java 5

Big language leap: generics, annotations, enums, enhanced for-loop.

GenericsAnnotationsEnumsEnhanced for-loopAutoboxing/unboxing
Curated starter

Overview and study notes

Java 5 (2004)

  • Generics unlock type-safe collections.
  • Annotations enable frameworks and tooling.
  • Enums, varargs, enhanced for-loop, autoboxing/unboxing modernize day-to-day Java.
Study focus
  • Generics became part of the story for this release.
  • Annotations became part of the story for this release.
  • Enums became part of the story for this release.
  • Enhanced for-loop became part of the story for this release.
  • Autoboxing/unboxing became part of the story for this release.
  • Compare this page with the versions immediately before and after it to see what actually shifted.
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