Oracle's Plans for Java in 2024

'Oracle's plans to evolve Java in 2024 involve OpenJDK projects,' writes InfoWorld, citing a recent video by Oracle Java developer relations representative Nicolai Parlog. (Though many improvements may not be usable until 2025 or later...)

- For Project Babylon, Parlog cited plans for code reflection, expanding the reflection API, and allowing transformation of Java code inside a method. The goal is to allow developers to write Java code that libraries then can interpret as a mathematical function, for example. The Babylon team in coming weeks plans to publish work on use cases such as auto-differentiating, C# LINQ emulation, and GPU programming.
- In Project Leyden, which is aimed at improving startup times, plans for 2024 involve refining the concept of condensers and working toward the production-readiness of prototype condensers.
- In Project Amber, current features in preview include string templates, a simplified main method, and statements before this() and super(). 'I expect all three to finalize in 2024,' said Parlog. Under exploration are capabilities such as primitive types in patterns and with expressions.
- In Project Valhalla, work will focus on value classes and objects, which provide class instances that have only final instance fields and lack object identity [to] significantly reduce the run time overhead of boxed Integer, Double, and Byte objects...

- In Project Lilliput, aimed at downsizing Java object headers in the HotSpot JVM and reducing Java's memory footprint, work now centers on polishing a fast-locking scheme.

- Project Panama, for interconnecting JVM and native C code, 'has three irons in the fire,' Parlog said.

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