GraalVM21.0 – Check what are the new features and drawbacks?

Good news JAVA developers, The company has launched a new version of GraalVM with additional components offering ease in Java virtual machine implementation.

GraalVM 21.0 includes several improvements and exciting features. It is a great addition to the GraalVM ecosystem for developers.

The ecosystem Provides Shared runtime to-

• JavaScript
•  Python
• Other Java-like programming languages.

What are the new features of the GraalVM update?

Earlier versions of GraalVM applications run using Java Hotspot VM with the compiler Just-in-Time (GraalVM).

The new update to the software includes major features with the highly used java programming language and using the Truffle framework to run java applications that can easily be installed and run through the GraalVM updater.

The GraalVM is a minifies JVM that includes core components like: –

• Java Native interface
• Bytecode interpreter
• Java Debug Wire Protocol

Also, it can support languages with the implementation of the library such as APIs and the traditional JVM.

Java on Truffle, known as espresso can be installed using the GraalVM Updater.

gu is the package manager used to install packages that are not included in the core distribution of GraalVM.

gu install espresso

When using Java on Truffle, to run the java application, the -truffle, an option has to be passed to the java command.

Benefits of using GraalVM

The GraalVm could be very helpful and can include interesting opportunities that innovate JVM to read and understand the source code to improve or make changes to it.

The major benefits and features are:-

• During a debugging session it can enhance HotSwap capabilities to change lambdas, its methods, and access modifiers.
• Helps in isolating the host JVM and run less trusted guest code on Truffle to sandbox.
• Its Ability to run the Java bytecode version is different from the JVM host.
• Using the Truffle framework to change the standard tools used in a java application.
• Non-JVM languages like python and JavaScript can be interpreted with.
• Espresso JIT compiler can be used by dynamically loading Java Code and Java native image Ahead-of-Time (AOT).

Currently, this is the easiest way to increase or decrease the performance of Java on Truffle. Some Future updates and releases will help ease and enhance the quality of the code more.

The latest version is the fastest when compared to its older versions when comparing the runtime and compatibility.

NOTE: – Truffle on Java is currently just an experimental component. It is not ready or updated currently for production use.

It is expected that the peak levels of performance of Java on truffle will get better with its forthcoming releases, but the current levels of performance in the new GraalVM is several times slower than the regular JVM.

What are the limitations of java on Truffle?

• GraalVM currently does not implement the JVM Tool Interface(JVMTI) – gentlib and agentpath are the VM options that are not supported
• It currently can Implement the java.lang.instrument interface – javaagent is the VM option that is not supported.
• The Java Management Extensions (JMX) has currently been implemented partially. So, the return of data is too, partial.

This was all about GraalVM21.0.