Rust-written JVM and Bytecode Transpiler: A Masterclass in Learning-by-Doing

2023/07/25

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The article showcases a fascinating project called rjvm, where Andrea Bergia, a Principal Software Engineer at lastminute.com, decided to learn how the JVM works internally by writing a simplified implementation of it in Rust. Despite not supporting some features like generics, threads, reflection, annotations, I/O, or JIT compilation, Andrea successfully implemented several non-trivial components, including control instructions, object and primitive creation, virtual and static method support, exceptions, a garbage collector, and the ability to load classes from external .jar files.

The author also highlights the creation of another educational project called jtcpp, a tool that converts Java bytecode to C++ native calls. This allows programs written in Java and Kotlin to be compiled into native instructions, potentially improving performance. However, the implementation of the standard Java library in C++ is limited, making it suitable only for creating simple algorithms and console applications.

The article emphasizes the importance of acknowledging comparable efforts in different languages, such as Jacobin, a project available on GitHub. While Rust remains a popular choice, exploring similar endeavors in other languages can provide valuable insights and inspiration for developers.

Overall, the article serves as a reminder that learning through practice and experimentation is a powerful way to deepen one's understanding of programming languages and frameworks.