Virtual Threads, Structured Concurrency, Extent Locals: When to Use Them, and How.
Project Loom introduces a lightweight threading model to the Java platform. At first, the blogosphere erupted in displays of denial. Why do we need something new when threads and reactive programming have served us well. The next stage was anger. People tried to use virtual threads with use cases for which they were definitely not designed, and were upset that the results were bad. The purpose of this talk is to help the audience skip the next two stages of grief and skip ahead to acceptance. I will analyze typical concurrent programming tasks and show how to assess their Loom-friendliness. I will dig into the new concepts of structured concurrency and extent locals and give examples of when to use them, and when to stick with existing practice. As a result, attendees should be able to walk away with a more nuanced understanding of when and how to employ virtual threads in their systems.Level:Expert
