JamaicaVM 2.8 released

30 December 2005

A new JamaicaVM release is available since today.

The most important new features are:

• exception stack traces for classes that are built into an application by the Builder now contain line numbers.
• project-specific WinCE support including graphics
• implemented more Swing funtionality.
• more fonts are now supported.
• safer code: getSuperclass now checks if class is primitive type.
• improved Jamaica Windows Installer for vxWorks target.
• added support for AMD Athlon 64-bit CPU.
• optimized Swing BoxLayout and its utility class, which reduces the number of allocations per layout.
• added handler for https protocol.
• enabled ELF support for VxWorks 5.5.
• added storing of detail error message and pending exception within a class that is put in error state, such that the original error context can be restored if the error occured during a complex linking process.
• ClassLoader's now contain a local pool of short model indices, such that in the short memory model class loaders can be used as well. This might make it possible to use the short model as default and saveabout 5-10% heap memory.
• restructured painting in AWT and Swing to improve paint performance.
• Builder now also accept spaces in filenames.
• lazy loading of fonts is implemented. This greatly improves startup time of graphical applications.
• more fonts are now supported.
• implemented faster memory fill/copy functions.
• renamed entry code function name under VxWorks: now the general name is either 'jvm' or 'jvm_' where is the name used with the Builder option -destination.
• new Builder option -priMapFromEnv to specify an environment variable that defines the thread priority mapping (Java thrads to OS threads). This brings the benefit, that an application has not to be rebuilt for a different priority mapping.
• deprecated option -ignoreClassNotFound. -lazy is a safer alternative that does not need to introduce dummy-code.
• implemented ThreadSuspend and ThreadResume.
• implemented native functions for primitive drawing operations (pixel,line, rectangle, filled rectangle, ARGB pixmap).
• optimization of array representation in memory reducing the memory required for arrays that are allocated in non-fragmented memory (e.g.,during VM startup). Results in heap size reduction of up to 10% or performance improvement of up to 4%.
• use of reverse stubs for more efficient context switch between compiled and interpreted/JNI code. Up to 8% code size reduction forcompiled applications.
• significant performance improvement in reflection API Method.invoke, Class.getMethod, Class.getMethods, Class.getField,Class.getFields, Method.getName, Field.getName, Constructor.getName, etc.).
• extended support for -lazy by the builder: classes, methods andfields that are not found by the builder will be ignored when -lazy is set. The resulting appliction will create a LinkageError during runtime when such classes, methods or fields will be accessed.

An evaluation version for Linux/x86 can be downloaded here. Versions for many other operating systems (VxWorks, Integrity, QNX, RTEMS, etc.) and processor architectures are available, please contact info@aicas.comfor details.