Welcome to LWorld: The current state of value types in Java by Tobi Ajila

InlineTypes are coming to Java! But what does that mean for you? This session explains the advances being made in Project Valhalla to improve Java's memory density by making it easy to create compact, cache efficient data structures. While this might sound like an easy feature to develop, the reality is, introducing a new concept like value types to a platform that has a wide array of libraries and applications dating back to the mid-90s without breaking anyone is a really hard problem to solve. In the first iteration of inline types, Minimal Value Types, values and references were kept distinct and this made it very difficult to use value types with existing libraries and challenging to program with. In the second iteration, LWorld, both inline types and references were unified, this provided a clear path to a future where values can play nicely with references and possibly even your old jars from the mid-90s. All is well right? As with most things, the devil is in the details. Come to this session to hear the opportunities and challenges that we face in LWorld. Tobi is a Java Runtime developer for the J9 VM team in Ottawa, Canada. In the past he has worked on Interpreter optimizations, JVMTI enhancments, JSR 335 and more. Currently, his main focus is on Project Jigsaw and Project Panama where he collaborates with other developers in the Panama expert group. Tobi has an interest in optimizing the Java Runtime for cloud environments. He previously worked on a JVM multi-tenant incubator project and has investigated enhancements for Java application deployments on Bluemix. In his spare time Tobi enjoys playing soccer and is an avid supporter of Arsenal F.C. Apart from sports Tobi also enjoy listening to music and catching the odd live show.