Java 9: JShell

JShell is a new tool introduced in Java 9 that evaluates Java statements entered on the command line. It is the first offical REPL (Read-Evaluate-Print Loop) implementation for the Java platform, and it is great for trying out Java code without having to fire up an IDE or write a full program!

To run JShell, simply type jshell on the command line. Obviously, make sure that you have installed JDK 9 and that your JAVA_HOME environment variable is set correctly. You will see a prompt like this:

$ jshell
|  Welcome to JShell -- Version 9
|  For an introduction type: /help intro

jshell>

Type /help at the prompt to see a list of available commands. To exit, type /exit.

You can enter code "snippets" and JShell will output the results. For example:

jshell> System.out.println("Hello World")
Hello World

You can auto-complete statements and also look at documentation using the Tab key:

jshell> System.out.
append(        checkError()   close()        equals(        flush()        format(        getClass()     hashCode()     notify()
notifyAll()    print(         printf(        println(       toString()     wait(          write(

Here is a screencast GIF showing JShell in action, created using LICECap: