Engineering With Java: Digest #51
Handpicked and Curated: The Best Java and Spring Blogs.
Introduction 📝
This week’s collection explores a range of advanced Java topics, offering valuable insights into modern practices and tools for enhancing Java application development.
From improving I/O performance with io_uring and Project Panama to exploring Java's future direction with Project Amber and Valhalla, the articles cover techniques for optimizing concurrency and memory management.
Other topics include simplifying workflow orchestration with LittleHorse, implementing scalable APIs with GraphQL Federation in Spring Boot, and leveraging Spring and Hibernate for efficient web and database management.
Additionally, the collection delves into best practices for optimizing JDBC interactions, debugging deadlocks, and refactoring code for better readability and maintainability.
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Top Picks ⭐
Async file IO with Java and io_uring
This article explores enhancing Java's I/O performance by integrating Project Panama and Linux's io_uring. Java's Virtual Threads can become "pinned" during blocking I/O operations, limiting scalability.
By using Panama for native interoperability and io_uring for asynchronous I/O, developers can transform blocking operations into yielding ones, improving concurrency.
It provides a practical example of implementing a single read operation using io_uring through Panama, demonstrating significant performance improvements.
This approach is particularly beneficial for I/O-intensive applications like web servers and data pipelines. The full implementation and code examples are available on GitHub
Where Is the Java Language Going?
Brian Goetz’s talk outlines Java’s evolution toward data-oriented programming through Project Amber and Project Valhalla, focusing on improving developer productivity, safety, and performance.
Amber introduces concise, expressive features like records, sealed types, and pattern matching, enabling better modeling of data with less boilerplate and safer deserialization.
Valhalla, on the other hand, targets JVM-level performance through value classes—immutable, identity-free types that allow memory flattening and optimizations. It also introduces null-restricted types for better safety and optimization, with a focus on migration compatibility.
Valhalla's guiding principle is “don’t pay for what you don’t use,” and optimization is handled by the JVM, not language syntax. Together, these projects shift Java from traditional object-oriented design toward a more modern, efficient, and data-friendly language.
LittleHorse, a Java Workflow Engine for Distributed Systems Orchestration
LittleHorse is an open-source Java workflow engine designed to simplify the orchestration of distributed systems. It addresses challenges such as state management, inter-service coordination, and integration of microservices, external APIs, and human tasks.
Developers can define workflows programmatically using familiar languages like Java, Go, Python, C#, and .NET, eliminating the need for specialized domain-specific languages.
By automating retries and ensuring state consistency, LittleHorse allows developers to focus on core business logic rather than infrastructure concerns
Latest 🔥
Beyond REST: GraphQL Federation in Spring Boot: Build Scalable APIs with Apollo
This article discusses how to build scalable APIs with GraphQL Federation in Spring Boot using Apollo. It contrasts GraphQL Federation with REST, highlighting benefits like fine-grained data fetching and unified schemas.
The guide covers implementing federated services, schema stitching, and optimizing performance with techniques like
DataLoaderfor batch fetching and caching. It concludes by suggesting GraphQL Federation is ideal for large-scale microservices, while REST may be sufficient for simpler API
How Spring and Hibernate Simplify Web and Database Management
This article discusses how the Spring and Hibernate frameworks streamline Java application development. Spring offers a comprehensive infrastructure for building enterprise-level applications, facilitating loose coupling through Dependency Injection (DI) and supporting Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP).
Hibernate, as an Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) tool, simplifies database interactions by mapping Java objects to database tables, handling CRUD operations, and managing transactions efficiently. Together, these frameworks enhance productivity, scalability, and maintainability in Java development.
How Spring Boot Maps Environment Variables to Configuration Properties
This article explains how Spring Boot translates environment variables into its internal configuration properties. Since operating systems typically use uppercase letters and underscores for environment variables (e.g.,
MY_APP_PORT), and Spring Boot prefers lowercase, dot-separated keys (e.g.,my.app.portThe framework applies a relaxed binding system to map these variables correctly.This system handles underscores, dashes, and casing differences, ensuring that environment variables are appropriately matched to Spring's expected configuration keys.
Additionally, Spring Boot determines the source of configuration values based on a predefined priority order, allowing developers to manage settings across different environments effectively
Thread per Connection vs Thread per Request
This article compares the Thread-per-Connection and Thread-per-Request models in Java server applications, highlighting that Thread-per-Connection dedicates a thread to each client for the connection's entire duration—leading to inefficiencies due to idle threads—while Thread-per-Request assigns a thread only for the duration of each request, offering better scalability and resource utilization.
The article concludes that Thread-per-Request, especially when combined with asynchronous processing (e.g., via Servlet 3.0+), is more suitable for modern, high-concurrency web applications.
How to Reuse PreparedStatement in Java
This article highlights the performance and security advantages of reusing prepared statements in JDBC.
Reusing
PreparedStatementimproves performance by eliminating the need for repeated parsing and compilation of SQL statements, while also enhancing security by preventing SQL injection through parameterized queries.Best practices include creating a
PreparedStatementonce and reusing it with different parameters, as well as ensuring proper resource management by closing database objects when they're no longer needed.This approach leads to more efficient and secure database interactions in Java applications.
Refactor Long Java Methods Like a Pro — With One Simple Rule
This article emphasizes the importance of the "One Method, One Responsibility" rule in Java programming. It suggests refactoring long methods by breaking them into smaller, focused methods, each performing a single task.
The example shows how to split the logic for validating an order, calculating the total, applying discounts, and saving to a database into separate, well-named private methods.
This approach improves readability and maintainability, making the main method concise and easier to follow.
Debugging Deadlocks Using Java Synchronization Aids
This article provides practical strategies for identifying and resolving deadlocks in Java applications. It emphasizes the importance of isolating and testing concurrent operations that may lead to deadlocks.
It demonstrates how synchronization aids like
CountDownLatchandCyclicBarriercan be utilized to control the execution order of threads, facilitating the detection and resolution of deadlocks.By employing these tools, developers can simulate and analyze thread interactions to pinpoint the causes of deadlocks, leading to more robust and efficient multithreaded applications