GraalVM Scripting Languages as Maven Dependencies

The GraalVM project serves as an umbrella for a diverse set of interesting technologies, all built around the GraalVM compiler. The most well-known at this time is the GraalVM native-image tool. However, there is also the GraalVM JIT compiler, a drop-in replacement for HotSpot's C2 compiler, and implementations of additional GraalVM languages such as the Python (GraalPy) and JavaScript (GraalJS). These additional GraalVM languages can be used as standalone distributions or through a Java embedding API, allowing for the extension of Java applications with these languages. For instance, you can offer Python scripting capabilities to users of your Java application. Even if such an application is compiled with native-image, it retains the ability to dynamically load, execute, and even JIT compile Python scripts. With its recent release, the GraalVM project was restructured, decoupling the additional languages from its core. We now have the GraalVM JDK distribution, which is an OpenJDK build enhanced with native-image, and the additional languages are delivered as Maven dependencies, compatible not only with GraalVM JDK but also with OpenJDK and OracleJDK, albeit with some caveats. In this session, we will explore how to use GraalVM languages as Maven dependencies and showcase their potential to enhance Java applications.