S4E5 - Moving Java Forward with Sharat Chander

Join Dan Vega and DaShaun Carter for an insightful discussion with Sharat Chander, Senior Director of Java Product Management & Developer Relations at Oracle. With JavaOne 2025 on the horizon and Java's 30th anniversary approaching, Sharat shares his vision for Java's future and reflects on his two-decade journey in shaping the Java community. From his pivotal role in JavaOne to leading developer relations initiatives, discover how Java continues to evolve and adapt to modern development needs. Get an exclusive preview of what to expect at JavaOne 2025 in Redwood Shores and learn about the exciting features coming in Java 24.Topics DiscussedJava's 30th AnniversaryJava will be celebrating 30 years on May 23, 2025Discussion about Java's longevity despite being "declared dead" multiple timesThe Java Platform and CommunityJava as both a technology platform and a community platformValue of bi-directional relationships in community buildingThe importance of user groups (nearly 370 Java user groups worldwide)Importance of reciprocity in community engagementThe OpenJDK community as a demonstration of collaborative developmentUpcoming ConferencesDevNexusHappening in just over two weeks (17 days from recording)Longest running and largest third-party Java conference in North AmericaRun by the Atlanta Java User GroupCelebrating nearly 20 yearsJavaOneMarch 18-20, 2025 at Oracle's campus in Redwood ShoresWill feature six parallel tracksMany Java team members will be present, including: Mark Reinhold (Java architect)Brian Gets (Java language architect)Paul Sandos (Java AI strategy)Ron Pressler (Project Loom)Special discount code for Java User Group members valid through March 10thJDK 24 ReleaseScheduled for March 18, 2025 (coinciding with first day of JavaOne)Will include numerous JEPs (JDK Enhancement Proposals)Discussion about the preview feature process and gathering community feedbackOther Java Resources MentionedEssential Resources MentionedOpenJDK Community: openjdk.orgWhere Java is createdLocation for long-term investment projects (Panama, Valhalla, Amber, Loom)Place to participate in Java developmentDev Java: dev.javaLearning portal for all things JavaTutorials and community informationJava playground for testing featuresInside Java: inside.javaAggregation of publications from the Java teamEasy discovery of content by author and topicJava YouTube Channel: youtube.com/JavaEducational Videos for learning JavaNotable Quotes"Community means bi-directional information sharing that you stay connected on for the long term." - Shar"For me, community is about taking care of each other." - Shar"One of my favorite words that doesn't get often used, but we need to make it more of our vernacular is reciprocity." - SharNext StepsFollow the Java team at upcoming conferencesCheck out JDK 24 release on March 18Explore early access builds for Java 25Get involved with your local Java User Group