Show HN: Gradle plugin for faster Java compiles

4 months ago 16

Experimental plugin for using Elide from within Gradle.

Make sure to install Elide before proceeding. In GHA, use our elide-dev/setup-elide action to install Elide.

Create the javac shim in your JAVA_HOME:

$JAVA_HOME/bin/elide-javac

#!/usr/bin/env bash exec elide javac -- "${@}"
Install and use the plugin as shown below.
That's it! Enjoy faster dependency resolution and Java compilation.

Note

We hope to eliminate the JAVA_HOME shim soon.

gradle.properties

elidePluginVersion=latest

settings.gradle.kts

// Use `latest` for the latest version, or any other tag, branch, or commit SHA on this project. val elidePluginVersion: String by settings apply(from = "https://gradle.elide.dev/$elidePluginVersion/elide.gradle.kts")

build.gradle.kts

plugins { // The `elideRuntime` catalog is added for you. Add the plugin like this: alias(elideRuntime.plugins.elide) } // Settings here apply on a per-project basis. See below for available settings; all properties // are optional, and you don't need to include this block at all if you are fine with defaults. elide { // Use Elide's Maven resolver and downloader instead of Gradle's. Defaults to `true` when an // `elide.pkl` file is present in the project root. enableInstall = true // Use Elide to compile Java instead of the stock Compiler API facilities used by Gradle. // Defaults to `true` if the plugin is active in the project at all. enableJavaCompiler = true // Enable Elide project awareness for Gradle. For example, build scripts can show up as runnable // exec tasks within the Gradle build. enableProjectIntegration = true // Set the path to the project manifest, expressed in Pkl format. Elide project manifests can // specify dependencies, build scripts, and other project metadata. Defaults to `elide.pkl` and // automatically finds any present `elide.pkl` in the active project. manifest = layout.projectDirectory.file("elide.pkl") }

Elide is a runtime and batteries-included toolchain for Kotlin/Java, Python, JavaScript, and TypeScript, that can be used as a drop-in replacement for javac (among other tools).

Elide builds javac as a native image and includes it within the Elide binary. This plugin changes your Gradle build (as applicable) to use Elide's toolchain facilities instead of Gradle's built-in ones.

The result can be a significant performance improvement for fetching dependencies and compiling code.

Learn more about Elide at elide.dev.

Note

Elide is in beta, and this plugin is experimental. Use at your own risk. Please report any issues you encounter.

Provide a Gradle plugin
Provide a Gradle Catalog
Support for elide install as Gradle's Maven resolver
Support for elide javac -- ... as Gradle's Java compiler
Use Elide from the user's PATH
Use a local copy of Elide within the project
Gradle-level Elide download cache
Ability to pin Elide version
Support the configuration cache
Race-and-report vs. javac
Augment project metadata for reporting
Generate dependency manifests

Elide is a GraalVM native image which functions as a Node- like runtime. It speaks multiple languages, including Java, Kotlin, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, WASM, and Pkl.

In addition to features which run code (i.e. the runtime!), Elide also is a full batteries-included toolchain for supported languages, including:

A drop-in replacement for javac and kotlinc
A drop-in replacement for jar and javadoc
Maven-compatible dependency resolution and fetching

This plugin configures your Gradle build to use Elide's dependency and/or compile features instead of Gradle's.

Compiling Java with Elide + Gradle

Gradle's JavaCompile tasks are configured to use Elide through isFork = true and forkOptions.executable. These point to a shim in the JAVA_HOME which invokes elide javac -- ... instead of javac ....

As a result, JIT warmup is entirely skipped when compiling Java. Projects under 10,000 classes may see better compiler performance, in some cases up to 20x faster than stock javac.

Fetching Dependencies with Elide + Gradle

Elide resolves and fetches Maven dependencies with identical semantics to Maven's own resolver, but again in a native image, and with an optimized resolution step (through the use of a checked-in lockfile).

When activated for use with Gradle, a few changes are made to your build:

An invocation of elide install is added before any Java compilation tasks.
Gradle is configured for a local Maven repo at .dev/dependencies/m2, which is where Elide puts JARs.
Thus, when Gradle resolves dependencies, they are already on disk and ready to be used in a classpath.

In this mode, dependencies are downloaded once and then can be used with both Elide and Gradle.

Warning

Fetching dependencies with Elide currently requires an elide.pkl manifest listing your Maven dependencies. This will change in the future.

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