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Java to C++: What would be needed ?

This article discusses the areas where accessing C++ from a Java environment is necessary and provides overwhelming benefits. It also explains why Java is a suitable language for this purpose and highlights the technical possibilities and biases involved. Various relevant keywords are included such as Java, C++, interoperability, programming languages, performance.

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Java to C++: What would be needed ?

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  1. Java to C++:What would be needed ? Norman Graf (SLAC) ILC-CLIC Software, CERN May 28, 2009

  2. Problem Statement • Need to identify areas where access to C++ from a Java environment is needed and/or provides an overwhelming benefit.

  3. Why Java? • Java is a pure Object Oriented Language • Simpler to learn and use than C++ • Language design emphasizes ease-of-use • Garbage collector takes care of freeing unused objects • Avoids distorting OO design by avoiding need for “ownership” • Very powerful standard library • Large number of open-source libraries including libraries for scientific computing • Platform independent, compile once just runs everywhere • Linux, Windows, Mac OSX) • Physicist gets to concentrate on writing clean OO code to perform analysis tasks • Not understanding core dumps and learning difference between a pointer and a reference. • Performance of Java code is close to that of C++ • Dynamic (runtime) optimization can take into account actual usage patterns • not available to static optimizers used by Fortran, C++ • Garbage collection often more efficient than user malloc/free (or new/delete) • Java is mainstream language • Taught in university courses • Used by majority of sourceforge “open-source” projects

  4. Why Java? • Full access to runtime information makes interface to scripting languages easy • Jython, JRuby, Pnuts, … • Get reflection for free because it is an OO language. • Wide availability of tools • Several very powerful,free, IDE’s available: • e.g. Netbeans, Eclipse • Support editing, code completion, GUI building, debugging, performance profiling, refactoring, version control (CVS, Subversion), etc… • Advanced tools such as maven (Apache) make project management easy • Maven is a Java based project management tool • After checking out code, single command “maven” • downloads dependencies, • Required libraries • Test Data • compiles code • runs test suite • deploys code • Maven can be integrated into IDE’s like Netbeans • Excellent support for threads • Will become more important with hyper-core machines. • Running on grid/cloud is straightforward. • JVM already provides the virtual machine • Performance of org.lcsim in end-to-end LOI physics benchmarking exercise has been excellent

  5. Technical possibilities • JNI • Currently used to access legacy event generators Java  C++  Fortran • Also has been used to call C++ track-finding and fitting code as a proof-of-principle. • JNA • Dynamically access native libraries from Java without JNI.

  6. Interoperability – Next Step • LCIO has been very successful in providing some interoperability between disparate ILC tools • Obvious next step is to attempt “common geometry” system • org.lcsim and Marlin (GEAR) geometry already very similar • Have discussed this in the past (LCGO) • This is a good area for someone interested in ILC software to get involved. • Java -> C++ interoperability • Ability to call C++ (MarlinReco) modules from org.lcsim?? • Some experimentation ongoing with using SWIG to build glue code • See somewhat related (pre-alpha) project G4Java • http://java.freehep.org/sandbox/G4Java/

  7. Biases • Mixing C++ and Java in same program does not work in a reasonable way. • Passing objects back and forth between Java/C++ rapidly becomes a mess • Lose all advantages of Java's portability • Should only be a “last resort” • Plug-compatibility, i.e. exchanging data via LCIO, works well and is our preferred method of proceeding.

  8. ALCPG simulation & reconstruction group plans to continue development and support of SLIC and org.lcsim and SiD plans to continue to use these as their primary tools for detector optimization going forward in the short term.

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