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NEXT JAVA FEATURE: Project LEYDEN addresses Java pain points

Leyden would mitigate Java’s large footprint and long-standing performance issues by introducing static images to the platform.

· java

Leyden's primary goal will be to address the long-term pain points of

  • Java’s slow startup time, 
  • slow time to peak performance, and 
  • large footprint.

Leyden will address these pain points by introducing a concept of STATIC IMAGES to the Java Platform, and to the JDK. A static image is:

  • a standalone program, derived from an application, which runs that application -- and no other. 
  • a closed world: It cannot load classes from outside the image, nor can it spin new bytecodes at run time.

That static images are not for everyone. It could be worthwhile in important deployment scenarios, such as small, embedded devices and the cloud.

Static images would be added to the Java Platform Specification.

Project Leyden would begin with a clone of the current JDK mainline release, JDK 15, and track mainline releases moving forward.