Google Officially Ends Dalvik Runtime; Say Hello To ART | TechTree.com

Google Officially Ends Dalvik Runtime; Say Hello To ART

Time for developers to begin optimising apps and games for the new ART runtime.

 

Its good news for Android users and bad news for developers, who earlier refused to optimise their apps and games for Android’s ART runtime. The Android Open Source Project has finally laid to rest Android’s age old runtime called Dalvik.

There were two commits indicating the same. The first commit showed that Dalvik has been removed from the master branch and the second showed that ART will indeed be the default runtime here on. If you are a bit confused about the whole ART vs Dalvik bit, more on that below.

An Android runtime is basically the stuff that makes apps run on your Android device. Dalvik, the age-old runtime is basically the reason why one would notice stutters while scrolling, along with the app launching lag, which many users hate about the Android Platform. It used the JIT (Just-In-Time) compiler that would start searching, compiling pieces of the app after you launched it; delaying the launch time and adding to the sluggishness that you notice in Android apps.

ART is the new runtime for the Android OS which was introduced with KitKat version 4.4 and comes with an AOT (Ahead-Of-Time) compiler which basically prepares all the app code, at the same time that you install an app. So when an app is launched, your OS will already have all it needs in place resulting is nil or less stutter and faster app launch times. Expect ART to bring a level of smoothness that only native apps like your contacts or SMS app currently deliver.

Apps would indeed take up more space, and will be 10-20% larger compared to Dalvik optimised apps. Moreover, most developers who claimed that ART will be a temporary thing, will have to make the switch, now that Google themselves have confirmed the same.

We would not say that Android would become as fluid as Windows Phone or iOS, but expect it to deliver a similar performance, something which Android users have been waiting for years on end.


TAGS: Android, Software, Google

 
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