Month: November 2021

Create Native Java Executable using jpackage – Sort of

Robert LohrLeave a comment

I have always been the kind of developer who prefers to use native code and write native code. My background is in C++, and I have worked with Microsoft’s WinAPI early in my career. That is to say: I like it fast, and I do not mind going to lower levels.

I am not stuck in the past, though, and as such, I, too, have evolved with the times. I still like C++, but I also see how languages like Java and its great tooling can boost productivity in comparison. As a result, I write code fast. Java is the tool of the trade at my current job, and performance usually is not a problem anymore. The JVM has improved, and computer hardware has, so performance is usually not an issue anymore.

There is one little problem, however: Usage. Let me explain.

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Apple Silicon M1 for Software Development: Java, C++ with Qt

Robert LohrLeave a comment

Apple’s laptops have been making quite the splash since the end of 2020 and have made a massive comeback as a professional tool one year later with the M1 Pro and Max designs. Most of the reviews I have seen focus on the editing and rendering capabilities of these new MacBooks. A few reviewers throw a compile test in the mix, but compiling Chromium or any other huge project is only a part of the equation. Developers don’t just compile code; they also use tools and IDEs to develop their software.

Being new to the M1 world, I wanted to recap my experiences so far briefly. I use Java professionally, and I also have a C++ application based on the Qt framework that I wrote an eon ago and still use productively. Being a former C++ professional, I am about native performance, and I like native software. Therefore, I intended to utilize as many Apple Silicon-native tools as possible. Luckily, one year after its release to the desktop world, the most popular applications have caught up. Let me go through my tool suite one by one.

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