I just downloaded and installed Oracle’s latest version of Java (SE 12) as released on March 19, 2019. It may be a bit of chore for some to continue updating every 6 months. As for me, I’m encouraged that Java is under regular review and continually being improved.
For those just learning the language, it can be frustrating when you are attempting to find a book that covers the latest release. While it’s always possible to download older versions of Java, it’s not recommended as security changes may be introduced and certain features may be deprecated with newer releases.
It’s easier to settle in on a book that covers at least a recently released version of Java and then continue to keep up with the changes as they occur with each subsequent release.
Java isn’t necessarily my favorite or first choice for coding an application, however, it still has it’s place in my arsenal of coding tools.
