I've watched all the talks from JVMLS so you know why it's worth to do it - JVM Weekly vol. 97

JVMLS (Java Virtual Machine Language Summit) is a conference focused on topics related to the JVM, such as programming languages, tools, and optimization techniques. I decided to watch the available presentations from JVMLS to share with you which ones are worth watching.

Alright, let's start with the Keynote Java in 2024, where Georges Saab, Senior Vice President (Java Platform Group - Oracle) and leader of the Java group at Oracle, breaks down the evolution of the Java release process. He references the "old, bad times" when infrequent and unpredictable updates led to feature backlogs and instability. To address this, about a decade ago, the Java team transitioned to a model of frequent releases alongside Long-Term Support (LTS) versions (which, I must note, is a somewhat surprising simplification— more on this topic here). Despite initial skepticism and concerns about management and quality, this change has allowed for regular, reliable updates without the need for rushed implementations—something everyone has come to appreciate over the years. The introduction of the modular system in JDK 9, though initially criticized, turned out to be key in managing dependencies and ensuring stability.

Georges also addresses the challenges of keeping external libraries and frameworks up to date with the latest JDK versions, especially those closely tied to JVM internals. The lack of support for new APIs also causes some segmentation within the ecosystem. To counter this, the Keynote suggests that library maintainers adopt a release model similar to the JDK, offering both new versions and LTS options. Although aware of the skepticism surrounding this approach, Georges believes it could provide users with greater flexibility and a better overall experience, and he invites more library maintainers to adopt this strategy. I'm curious if we'll see a surge of such solutions in the future.

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