Exploring Java 10: Features, Real-World Use Cases, and Examples

When Java 10 was released in March 2018, it may not have been as ground-breaking as Java 8 or Java 9, but it still introduced several powerful enhancements that developers use every day. Many of these changes were focused on developer productivity, performance improvements, and memory optimizations. In this blog, we’ll dive into the top features of Java 10, explain them with real-world use cases, and show how they can simplify development in enterprise-grade applications.

Key Features of Java 10

1. Local Variable Type Inference (var keyword)

The most significant feature of Java 10 is the introduction of the var keyword. It allows developers to declare local variables without explicitly mentioning the type, making code cleaner and more readable while still being statically typed.

Example:

public class VarExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        var message = "Hello, Java 10!";  // inferred as String
        var number = 42;                  // inferred as int
        var list = List.of("Java", "Spring", "Microservices"); // inferred as List<String>

        System.out.println(message);
        System.out.println("Number: " + number);
        System.out.println("Technologies: " + list);
    }
}

Output:

Hello, Java 10!
Number: 42
Technologies: [Java, Spring, Microservices]

Use case:

Imagine you’re working on a Spring Boot microservice that consumes JSON data. Using var, you can make your DTO mapping cleaner without cluttering your code with long generic declarations:

var response = objectMapper.readValue(json, new TypeReference<Map<String, Object>>() {});

This makes code shorter while still type-safe.

2. Application Class-Data Sharing (AppCDS)

Java 10 introduced Application CDS (Class-Data Sharing) to improve JVM startup performance by sharing metadata across multiple JVM instances.

Use case:

In microservice architectures deployed on Kubernetes or AWS ECS, multiple JVM instances spin up frequently. With AppCDS, class metadata is shared across JVM processes, reducing memory footprint and startup time — crucial for autoscaling environments.

3. Garbage Collector Interface

Java 10 introduced a clean interface for Garbage Collectors (GC), making it easier for developers and vendors to integrate new GC algorithms without affecting existing code.

Use case:

In fintech systems that process real-time payments, GC tuning is critical. Java 10’s GC interface provides flexibility to adopt new collectors like ZGC (added in Java 11) seamlessly, improving low-latency performance.

4. Parallel Full GC for G1

The G1 Garbage Collector, introduced in Java 9, was enhanced in Java 10 with parallel full GC, significantly reducing pause times.

Use case:

An e-commerce platform handling high traffic during flash sales can benefit from this feature, as it ensures consistent response times and prevents latency spikes caused by full GC pauses.

5. Heap Allocation on Alternative Memory Devices

Java 10 allows the JVM to allocate heap memory on alternative memory devices such as NVDIMM (Non-Volatile Memory).

Use case:

Large-scale data analytics applications can use cheaper memory devices for certain workloads, lowering infrastructure costs while still achieving high performance.

6. Root Certificates Included

Java 10 comes bundled with a default set of root certification authorities (CAs), making it easier to establish secure HTTPS connections out of the box.

Use case:

When building REST APIs in a banking system, developers don’t need to manually install CA certificates, reducing deployment friction and security risks.

7. Other Minor Enhancements

• Time-based release model (every 6 months).

• Consolidation of JDK repositories.

• Improved container awareness (important for Dockerized apps).

  
  

Summary of Java 10 Benefits

• Cleaner code with var.

• Faster startup with AppCDS.

• Better GC performance for high-traffic apps.

• Improved security with bundled root certificates.

• Cost-efficient memory usage with alternative devices.

  
  

Java 10 may have been a short-term release, but its features laid the groundwork for modern Java development — particularly for microservices, cloud-native applications, and containerized deployments.

Key Points:

• Use var for cleaner, more maintainable code in everyday development.

• Leverage AppCDS and G1 enhancements for performance-sensitive enterprise systems.

• Benefit from better security and container support in cloud environments.