GraalVM 22.1, the latest update to Oracle’s polyglot runtime, introduces a significant enhancement for developers with its new quick build mode for Native Image. Released on April 26, this feature aims to reduce the time required for ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation of Java applications into standalone executables. While still in its early stages, quick build mode offers a promising solution to the lengthy build times that have been a common pain point in AOT compilation workflows.
The quick build mode achieves faster compilation by operating in an economy mode, applying fewer optimizations during the build process. This trade-off results in a remarkable 43% reduction in build time for many applications, as measured by the GraalVM development team. By focusing on minimizing the analysis and optimization workload, this mode makes it easier for developers to iterate on their applications during development without being slowed down by long compilation times.
However, quick build mode is not without limitations. It is primarily intended for development purposes, where build speed takes priority over runtime performance and memory efficiency. Applications built using this mode may have higher memory usage and slower execution compared to those compiled in the default mode. For production deployments, developers are encouraged to stick with the standard compilation settings to ensure optimal performance. That said, the GraalVM team is actively working on refining quick build mode to improve runtime performance and address other build stage processes in future updates.
GraalVM 22.1 also introduces broader improvements to the Native Image build process, including enhancements to performance and reductions in memory footprint. These changes contribute to faster overall executable build times, benefiting all users of the platform. With these advancements, GraalVM continues to evolve as a powerful tool for developers seeking efficient and versatile solutions for building high-performance Java applications and polyglot systems.