Introducing Computed Constants in Java

The article discusses the introduction of computed constants in Java, which are immutable value holders that can be initialized at most once. This new feature offers the performance and safety benefits of final fields while providing greater flexibility in terms of initialization timing. The motivation behind this addition is to address the restrictions and limitations of final fields, which must be set early and have fixed initialization times. Developers have previously used techniques like the class-holder idiom and double-checked locking idiom to overcome these limitations, but they come with drawbacks. Computed constants aim to provide a more ideal solution by allowing developers to defer initialization until it is actually needed. This new feature offers advantages such as reduced static footprint cost and improved isolation of field initialization. Java developers who prioritize immutability and want more flexibility in initializing constants will find computed constants to be a valuable addition to the language.