Modern Software Podcast: Java Guru Ben Evans on the Future of the World’s Most Popular Programming Language
Blog post from New Relic
In recent years, Java has undergone significant changes, including a shift in its support model and release schedule. Oracle has stopped providing free binaries for Java 8 and 11, instead opting for a faster, more dynamic release schedule with new major versions of Java released every six months. This change presents both opportunities and challenges for developers and enterprises using Java in the microservices world. Optimizing Java performance requires understanding the problem, finding data to confirm it, and then drilling down to find solutions such as reducing object creation, minimizing debug log messages, and properly configuring garbage collection. Anti-patterns like creating unnecessary objects or ignoring thread constraints can lead to performance issues like queuing nightmares and context switching. As Java continues to evolve, its relevance in the microservices world is ensured by its rich programming environment, ease of hiring developers, and modularity, which enable efficient deployment and scaling. New Relic's support for Java will continue to be crucial in helping customers navigate these changes and optimize their applications for performance and stability.