News

Micronaut 2.0 Full-Stack Java Framework Released

• By John K. Waters
• August 12, 2020

Object Computing, Inc., has just announced the latest release of Micronaut, its JVM-based, full-stack Java framework. Developed by the creators of the Grails framework, Micronaut was designed to provide developers with a polyglot tool for building modular, easily testable JVM applications with the Java, Kotlin, and Groovy languages.

Micronaut 2.0, available now, works with such frameworks as Spring and Grails to run in scenarios such as serverless functions, Android apps, or low memory-footprint microservices. The latest version has been updated to support JDK 14, Groovy 3, and reactive frameworks such as RxJava 3 and Reactor.

The Micronaut framework uses Java's annotation processors, which work with any JVM language that supports them, as well as an HTTP server and client built on the Netty non-blocking I/O client server framework. To provide a programming model similar to Spring and Grails, these annotation processors pre-compile the required metadata to perform DI, define AOP proxies, and configure applications to run in a low-memory environment, the company says. Many of the APIs in Micronaut were "heavily inspired" by Spring and Grails," which was by design and aids in bringing developers up to speed quickly," the company says.

One feature in particular, Micronaut Launch, adds new support for this last capability. The new starter service, which was designed to work as both as a browser-based tool and a REST API, helps to quickly scaffold and generate Micronaut-based applications. It comprises a faster Micronaut CLI, a new Maven plugin, and a Gradle upgrade. Serverless capabilities have been expanded by adding support for Azure Functions and Google's Cloud Functions. It also provides support for HTTP/2 and Servlets and a revamped security design. This release also provides deeper integration with the GraalVM, Oracle's universal virtual machine, and it features optimized memory consumption and improved startup times by up to 20% on an average across the entire framework, the company says.

Object Computing, Inc., is a St. Louis, MO-based consulting company focused on technology for "accelerating business outcomes." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch listed the company among its Top Workplaces for 2020.

In June, the company announced the formation of the Micronaut Foundation, a not-for-profit company "established to advance innovation and adoption of Micronaut."

"The formation of the Foundation reflects the growing need to balance the diverse range of interests from the Micronaut community and contributing organizations," said Graeme Rocher, co-founder of the Micronaut framework, in a statement. "As Micronaut's adoption continues to accelerate, the additional governance provided by the Foundation will ensure all interested parties have a voice, resulting in a much more inclusive approach to the direction of the project."