Contents
CORE JAVA
▪️ Java 26 Is Here, And With It a Solid Foundation for the Future
▪️ Beyond Deadlocks: Livelocks, Starvation, and Lock Convoys
▪️ The Java Memory Model in Practice: Happens-Before, Volatile, and the Cost of Synchronization
API & FRAMEWORKS
▪️ Vaadin + Quarkus: The New Approach for Enterprise Apps
▪️ Java & Jakarta EE and the Evolution of the Cloud with Nanos Unikernel
▪️ API Modernization for 2026: Async, Reactive, Virtual Threads, or Event-Driven?
▪️ Overengineering – Your Path to Maintenance Hell
AI & ML
▪️AI Agent for Jakarta EE
▪️ AI without Spaghetti: Clean Architecture in the Age of AI
SECURITY
▪️AI Supply Chain Attacks: What Java Teams Need to Know
Details
Page count: 97
Authors: Atiq Amjad, Yasin Baytürk, Hanno Embregts, Mihaela Gheorghe-Roman, Gaurav Gupta, Sebastian Konieczek, Steve Poole, Angelo Rubini, Lutske van der Meer, Maarten Vandeperre
Editorial
Engineering Decisions
There has never been a better time to build software with Java. The platform continues to evolve at an impressive pace. New language features, virtual threads, cloud-native runtimes, AI-assisted development, and modern deployment models are expanding what Java developers can achieve. Yet with every new capability comes another choice. Should you adopt the latest framework? Is reactive programming still the right answer? Do you really need Kubernetes? How should AI fit into an enterprise architecture? Where should simplicity end and abstraction begin?
Modern software engineering is no longer defined by access to technology. It is defined by the quality of the decisions we make. That is the common thread running through this issue. Some articles explore the evolution of the Java platform itself, from Java 26 to the realities of concurrency and the Java Memory Model. Others challenge long-held assumptions about application architecture, cloud infrastructure, and API design. You’ll discover alternative approaches to enterprise development with Quarkus and Vaadin, reconsider established cloud-native patterns through Unikernels, and compare modern concurrency models ranging from virtual threads to reactive and event-driven systems.
At the same time, our authors remind us that technical excellence is not measured by complexity. Good architecture is about creating systems that remain understandable, maintainable, and adaptable. Whether discussing overengineering, clean architecture for AI-powered applications, or the responsible use of AI agents inside Jakarta EE, the message is remarkably consistent: technology should serve the system—not the other way around.
Security has become part of every engineering decision as well. AI-assisted development, software supply chains, and increasingly autonomous tooling create enormous opportunities, but they also introduce new responsibilities. Building modern Java applications now requires thinking beyond code alone. Perhaps that is the biggest shift our industry has experienced.
For years we measured progress by new frameworks, libraries, and APIs. Today, those technologies are only part of the equation. Success depends on selecting the right tool for the right problem, understanding the trade-offs behind every architectural choice, and resisting the temptation to follow trends without questioning them. Engineering has always been about making informed decisions under changing conditions. Modern Java development is no different.
We hope this issue helps you make those decisions with greater confidence.
Enjoy reading.
