Compressed oops in the Hotspot JVM 7 - new optimization

What is Compressed oops in the Hotspot JVM? It's a pointer to an object. They are stored in the Java heap. Not all of them are pointers to objects, but also e.g. pointers to fields in objects. Before Java 6u23 pointers have size corresponding with platform (32 bites or 64 bites) by default.
So unfortunately, on a 64 bites platform, applications need bigger heap.

In Java 7 by default, for heap smaller than 32GB, pointers are saved as 32 bites offset from the address of heap beginning. For bigger heaps pointers are addressed with 64 bites.

Questions to the employer on an interview

Recently I have read a thread concerning a question not what we will be asked on an interview but on the other hand what we should ask as an interviewee.

Some of the suggestions:

1. What time does work start and ends?
2. Which IDE and CI are used?
3. Are there any internal trainings?
4. Is unit testing used?
5. Is wiki used?
6. Which libraries and frameworks are used?
7. Are there many own libraries created?
8. Which work methodologies are used?
9. Why does previous employee quit?
10. Does work concern more maintenance or new projects?
11. What trainings are possible?
12. Are there any overtime if so how are they paid?

There is also a question which to choose as we wouldn't have time for many of them.

For me three most important are: 3,6, 10.

Tools for drawing UML

I can recommend some tools for UML.

First an on-line website http://yuml.me/. It just create an image file with an UML diagram based on simple test instructions. Check it!

Other tools for creating UML based on textual notation:

• UmlGraph
• TextUML Toolkit -

Spring Roo 1.1.5 released

Spring Roo 1.1.5 has been released.

New release has 95 improvements and bug fixes.

More details on: http://www.springsource.org/node/3173

Apache Tomcat 5.5 end of support

Apache Tomcat 5.5 (released originally on August 31, 2004) will not be supported from October 1, 2012.

That means that after October 1, 2012 bugs and security issues will not be fixed for version 5.5.x.
After December 31, 2012 download pages will not be available any more.

Users of those tomcat version should proceed with migration to the newer version.

JRebel for MyEclipse

New product has been released: JRebel for myEclipse.

This version will work only with this IDE. It is cheaper, so if you use only myEclipse or thinking of buying JRebel license for it you can save money.

Now it is 165$ a year. Full version costs from 200$.

More info on http://www.zeroturnaround.com/jrebel/myeclipse

News from the JavaBlackBelt

Some changes have been delivered in the JavaBlackBelt, website well known for its tests on programming languages, technologies and tools. It allows users to pass exams, but also to be a part of community. We can create questions, precise them and create whole exams.

Everyone can test their knowledge now also in exams concerning Java 7, Android, Oracle SQL.

To see more go to http://www.blackbeltfactory.com