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

JEP 429, Extent-Local Variables (Incubator), was promoted from its JEP Draft 8263012 to Candidate status. This incubating JEP, under the umbrella of Project Loom, proposes enabling the sharing of ...

You examined local variables, method parameters, and variable scope. You learned how to add data to classes using instance variables, and how that data is contained in each instance.