Method and variable handles vs. Java reflection To truly understand MethodHandles and VarHandles —what they do and why they are useful—it’s helpful to know a few things about reflection in Java.

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.