GraalVM’s Quick Build Mode Cuts Native Image Build Times, Ideal for Development Use
GraalVM 22.1 introduces significant enhancements to its Native Image technology, featuring a new quick build mode designed to streamline development processes. This latest release, unveiled on April 26, focuses on improving compilation efficiency for Java applications by reducing the time required to build native images—standalone executables generated from Java code.
Native Image compilation is a core feature of GraalVM that transforms Java applications into native executables, allowing for faster startup times and reduced memory usage. However, this process can be time-consuming, especially for large and complex applications. The new quick build mode addresses this issue by optimizing the build process with fewer performance enhancements, thereby significantly speeding up compilation times. According to GraalVM developers, this mode results in a 43% improvement in overall build time.
Despite its advantages in terms of speed, quick build mode is intended primarily for development purposes rather than production environments. The trade-off involves reduced runtime performance and increased memory usage compared to the default compilation mode. This mode prioritizes build efficiency over the extensive optimizations typically applied in production builds, making it ideal for iterative development but less suited for final deployment.
GraalVM 22.1 also brings faster executable build times through overall performance improvements and reduced memory footprint. This release includes enhancements for GraalVM Community Edition, which is now available for Apple Silicon in preview form, expanding support for new hardware platforms. Additionally, the default behavior of Native Image has been adjusted to align more closely with the java command, allowing builds to proceed even if certain classes are missing from the classpath or module path.
Other notable updates in GraalVM 22.1 include conditional reflection configuration for Native Image, which allows for more precise and efficient class configuration by applying settings only when specific conditions are met. This feature helps reduce the size of the resulting executable. The release also introduces experimental engine caching support for Node.js applications in GraalVM Enterprise Edition and enhancements to the Python runtime, including support for frozen modules that speed up startup times and lower memory usage.
Developers can access GraalVM Community Edition from GitHub and GraalVM Enterprise builds from the Oracle Technology Network. With these updates, GraalVM continues to advance its capabilities, offering developers more efficient tools for building and running Java applications.