# Novel Uses of Core Java for Low-Latency and High-Performance Systems

DevFeed: [Novel Uses of Core Java for Low-Latency and High-Performance Systems](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/novel-uses-of-core-java-for-low-latency-and-high-performance-systems-30745.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<http://blog.vanillajava.blog/2024/12/novel-uses-of-core-java-for-low-latency.html>)

Author: Peter Lawrey (noreply@blogger.com)

Published: 2024-12-09T16:24:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Vanilla Java](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/vanilla-java.md>)

Topics: [Java](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/java.md>), [Low Latency](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/low-latency.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systems.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>), [Exception](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/exception.md>), [Data structures](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/data-structures.md>)

Tags: [diagnostics](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/diagnostics.md>), [exception](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/exception.md>), [high-performance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/high-performance.md>), [info](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/info.md>), [java](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/java.md>), [latency](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/latency.md>), [low-latency](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/low-latency.md>), [opinion](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/opinion.md>), [performance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/performance.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/systems.md>)

## AI overview

This article examines unconventional Core Java techniques for low-latency and high-performance systems. It discusses capturing stack traces without throwing exceptions, system-wide unique timestamps, trivially copyable data types, zero-garbage strategies, and conditional diagnostic tracing, with attention to performance, determinism, and production use.

## Source excerpt

Standard Java libraries and idioms may only sometimes suffice in high-performance and low-latency Java systems. This article explores unconventional yet practical techniques that push Core Java to its limits, focusing on performance, diagnostics, and determinism. Drawing on experiences from building ultra-low-latency libraries and infrastructure, we will highlight patterns such as capturing stack traces without exceptions, system-wide unique timestamps, "trivially copyable" data types, zero-garbage strategies, and more. We will also discuss lessons from applying these approaches in production environments, where nanosecond-level considerations are the norm. This is taken from the transcript for Novel Uses of Core Java for Low-Latency and High-Performance Systems Moderated by Melissa McKay. Introduction Developers often rely on standard Java idioms--throwable hierarchies, BigDecimal for financial calculations, thread-local resources, or off-the-shelf message queues. While straightforward, these approaches can impose unwanted latency, garbage generation, or diagnostic blind spots. Even microseconds matter in low-latency trading, market data processing, or other time-sensitive domains. We aim to present "novel uses" of Core Java that remove such bottlenecks, allowing developers to produce cleaner, more deterministic, and more insightful code. These techniques are not always common knowledge, yet they can deliver substantial benefits in the right context. Capturing Stack Traces Without Exceptions Most Java developers assume that Throwable subclasses like Exception or Error must represent actual errors. However, you can extend Throwable to capture a stack trace at any point, even without throwing it. public final class StackTrace extends Throwable { // Intentionally extends Throwable but never thrown } Why do this? Treating a stack trace as a standalone data structure lets you record where and when certain critical events occur. For example, if a resource is closed premat