OpenHFT Java-Lang is an archived Java library for data marshalling, ByteBuffer and off-heap memory handling, and low-garbage-collection data structures. Its GitHub repository was archived by its owner on August 16, 2023, and the project directs users to migrate to Chronicle-Core and Chronicle-Bytes. Treat net.openhft:lang as a legacy dependency, not as a current library to adopt for new work.
What is OpenHFT Java-Lang?
OpenHFT Java-Lang is a Java library and repository built around low-level data handling. Its README describes it as a module for “marshalling, de-marshalling and handling of thread safe off heap memory through ByteBuffers.” In practical terms, it provided tools to encode and decode data, work with byte buffers and native memory, and build data structures intended to reduce pressure on the Java garbage collector. OpenHFT/Java-Lang on GitHub
The project was distributed as source and through Maven Central under the coordinates net.openhft:lang. Maven Central lists the project’s source-management URL as OpenHFT/Java-Lang. Maven Central artifact metadata
Is OpenHFT Java-Lang still maintained?
No. GitHub marks the repository as archived by its owner on August 16, 2023, and its README says the project has been superseded. An archived repository may remain available to inspect, but that status is a strong signal not to assume ongoing maintenance or current compatibility. For an existing application, treat the library as legacy: identify where it is used, assess operational risk, and plan migration rather than adding it to new code.
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The Java-Lang README names Chronicle-Core and Chronicle-Bytes as successors and asks users to consider migration. The project describes Chronicle-Core as the successor for low-level native-memory, JVM, operating-system, resource, and utility functions. Chronicle-Bytes is named alongside it in the migration notice. Chronicle-Core repository
| Area | Java-Lang | Chronicle-Core and Chronicle-Bytes |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Archived by its owner on August 16, 2023; legacy project. Project repository | Named by Java-Lang as the migration destination; check each successor repository for its current state and release details. |
| API compatibility | Existing APIs are specific to the archived library. | Compatibility with Java-Lang is not established by the migration notice; expect to evaluate and test replacements. |
| Java-version support | Do not infer current support from policies for other OpenHFT libraries. | OpenHFT’s current support documentation covers Java 8, 11, 17, 21, and 25 for current libraries; verify that a particular successor release supports your target runtime. OpenHFT Java Version Support |
| Memory and buffer capabilities | Documented ByteBuffer, direct-store, off-heap, and primitive operations. | Chronicle-Core is described as a successor for low-level native-memory and utility functions; Chronicle-Bytes is also named for migration. Check their current documentation for the specific operation you need. |
| Migration effort | May remain in existing builds as a legacy dependency. | Plan for dependency and code changes; the README’s direction to migrate does not establish drop-in replacement APIs. |
How did Java-Lang provide off-heap memory?
The library documented several layers of access, from wrapping a standard Java buffer to operating on direct native-memory storage:
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ByteBufferByteswrapped ajava.nio.ByteBuffer.DirectBytesused slices or records of an off-heapDirectStore.- Primitive methods included operations such as
writeLongandreadLong. - Native-memory locking and compare-and-swap operations were documented for integer and long values.
- Basic off-heap collections included huge arrays and queues, designed to reduce garbage-collection pressure.
The README described the design as “largely GC-less” and claimed users could queue millions of entries with a 32 MB heap without triggering garbage collections. That is a claim in the project’s example, not an independently verified benchmark; actual behavior depends on the workload and application.
How do I migrate from net.openhft:lang?
The migration notice identifies successor projects but does not establish that their APIs are drop-in replacements. Approach migration as a code and behavior change, not merely a version update.
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- Find the dependency and its use. Search your build files and source code for
net.openhft:langand Java-Lang classes. Record which code paths use byte buffers, direct stores, primitive access, locking, compare-and-swap, or collections. - Map each use to a successor capability. Consult the current Chronicle-Core and Chronicle-Bytes documentation and releases to identify the appropriate package and API. Do not assume a Java-Lang class has a one-to-one replacement.
- Check runtime and release compatibility. Confirm the successor release’s supported Java versions and any relevant operating-system or deployment requirements. OpenHFT’s support policy for current libraries does not make the archived Java-Lang module current.
- Replace and test incrementally. Exercise serialization or marshalling behavior, buffer boundaries, native-memory lifecycle and cleanup, concurrent access, and failure handling. Include workload-specific performance and garbage-collection measurements before relying on behavior that the old README described.
- Remove the legacy dependency when migration is complete. Verify that builds and deployed artifacts no longer resolve Java-Lang, then monitor the application under representative load.
How do I add net.openhft:lang to Maven?
The historical Maven Central artifact is net.openhft:lang. Check the artifact metadata for available versions and details before changing a legacy build. Because the project is archived and directs users to successors, adding it is generally relevant only when reproducing or maintaining an existing application, not when starting a new one. Maven Central: net.openhft:lang
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