Java: Not just for the server anymore?

Performance problems and potential remedies Java isn't a perfect solution, though: All that portability exacts a cost in terms of performance in a desktop application, and things are no different in an embedded environment. Other problem areas, according to Evans Data's survey results, include a lack of support for "real-time processing," where a processor executes instructions as they come in instead of scheduling them for execution later when an execution queue fills. Poor performance is a common complaint about Java, and the language was never really intended to support real-time processing. As a result, many projects are actually Java hybrids, with Java providing higher-level structure and components like UI and Internet connectivity and a lower-level language, like C, providing direct hardware manipulation and performance-critical components. So where does that leave purist and that "100 percent Java" implementation? A lot of work is currently being done to overcome Java's disadvantages. The most interesting is the advent of silicon chips meant to directly execute Java byte code, removing the need for a resident JVM and thereby markedly improving performance. While such a novel solution may sound like just the ticket, Williams suggests that these chips aren't as widely accepted as you might think. "One issue is price," he said. "Another is that you still have to write some specialised code in non-Java languages in order to directly manipulate the underlying hardware." This essentially leaves you with a hybrid solution again. In addition, Williams said, "There are ongoing attempts to make Java more appropriate for real time. Among the companies involved are Intrinsyc, Esmertec, IBM, NewMonics and, of course, Sun." However, the "100 percent Java" implementation is still a way off. Performance can be improved by faster hardware and more efficient JVMs, but the major stumbling block will likely remain real-time processing. "Java was not originally conceived for real-time applications, and attempts to modify it for real time can deviate from 'true Java.' Staying with true Java is absolutely necessary for portable applications." As it stands now, Williams said, developers have a decision to make. "Do they use Java for some of its benefits, but modified in the interest of performance and thus not fully portable, or do they give up some real-time performance in favor of full Java compliance? There is, at this point, no completely unambiguous solution."

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