Java SE 10 (March 2018) introduced type inference for local variables. Java Language Architect Brian Goetz explains the feature. BT. ... For example, for local variables, ...

For example, if Java infers a type to be a String, it will not assigned that type to an int or a float later on in the code. int x = 10; x = "ten"; // Error: violation of strong typing in Java When ...

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.