Java - Still Alive and Well

Long overdue, the release of Java 7 brought an large uptick in Java's resurgence across the board. There were many additions to the source language and a renewed focus on the underlying JVM. The first bytecode to be introduced into the JVM since the inception of Java was a big accomplishment. The addition of "invokeDynamic" brings much needed performance to a collection of dynamic languages such as JRuby, Groovy and others. And JavaFX 2, which is a new graphics API and a redesigned underlying stack brings modern UI constructs to all JVM-based languages. With Java 8 and Java EE 7 just around the corner with a definitive cloud-spin and with perhaps an HTML5-based kick in the web-app pants, this track will focus on how we can leverage the reinvigorated Java toolset and ecosystem.