Java 5: Unleash the Tiger on Your Next Project Desktop (UI) and Virtual Machine Kyle Gabhart
Desktop (UI)
J2SE 5.0 has taken some significant strides to address the traditionally slow start-up time and heavyweight memory footprint that has traditionally plagued Java desktop applications. The new version boasts enhanced font capabilities (especially to support localization and internationalization), many updates to Java Sound (broader platform support, optimized direct audio access, an improved and real-time Sequencer, etc.), hardware-accelerated rendering for Java 2D using OpenGL drivers, and even a new skin-changing look and feel (Synth) and Theme (Ocean) for Swing.
Virtual Machine
Notable updates for the virtual machine include:
Error Handling – Although the improvements are simple, the value is tremendous. Java developers now have the ability to capture stack traces as String objects and use them however they need to using the getStackTrace and Thread.getAllStackTraces, rather than being forced to send Stack Trace information to the console. Additionally, the HotSpot JVM has been updated to include a fatal error handler for running a user-supplied script or program if the JVM dies. Finally, the HotSpot JVM has been given a serviceability agent connector that permits monitoring and debugging tools to connect to a hung JVM or core file and extract relevant diagnostic data.
Management and Monitoring – From instrumentation (JPLIS) to Java Management Extensions (JMX) support, to support of remote access protocols and SNMP tools, management and monitoring have been greatly enhanced with J2SE 5.0. All of this is ready to use straight out of the box, supporting local and remote management and monitoring of a running JVM.
Performance and Scalability – A great deal of attention has been given to the subject of performance in this latest release of the core Java platform. Java 5 starts more quickly, leaves a smaller memory footprint, and offers enhanced scalability by enabling multiple JVMs to share read-only data. One really interesting enhancement is the ability to designate the role of a JVM as either a 'client' or a 'server'. The JVM then automatically tunes itself to provide the optimum environment for the specified role, delivering enhanced performance, garbage collection, and thread prioritization.
