Apache Camel 4.0 has been released: What's new ? by Alexandre Gallice

Apache Camel 4.0 has been released with a major focus on user experience, featuring a modular and extensible architecture, breaking changes, and improved development environments.

Key takeaways
  • Camel 4.0 has been released with a major focus on user experience, shifting from Java-centric to a more modular and extensible architecture.
  • The new Camel release has a breaking change in the Java ecosystem, requiring updates to dependencies and possible migration efforts.
  • Three notable changes include:
    • Package renames, potentially impacting third-party libraries and user code.
    • A new Java 17-based runtime, with Camel Quarkus allowing for seamless migration between LTS versions.
    • Improved visual development environments, such as the Camel extension pack for VSCode, enhancing user experience.
  • The Camel community has seen a “free stream acceleration” in the release cadence, with shortening version intervals (e.g., Camel 2 lasted only two years).
  • Integration logic is now more modular, allowing for easier maintenance and updates.
  • Modular components can be removed temporarily, simplifying development and debugging.
  • The new Camel release aims to improve developer experience, with auto-documentation, code completion, and a more user-friendly API.
  • The Camel ecosystem is expanding, incorporating new technologies like Quarkus and Jakarta, and allowing for easier integration with various platforms.