Android Open Source Project (AOSP) indicates
that the Android runtime (ART) could become default in the next version of
Android. When the
Android 4.4 KitKat was first announced there were quite a few new features
brought to the table including a redesigned dialer, an improved Google Now
integration and the list goes on. KitKat also
brought for us our first taste of ART, the hidden Android runtime that could
easily be enabled via Developer options.
When ART first surfaced, it was noted that it performed faster than the existing Dalvik, but there was
also noted compatibility issues with some applications. While some of these
issues still prevail, many application developers have since updated their apps
to better work with the currently optional run-time. Still, ART is not
quite ready for primetime — or is it? A new commit to
the Android Open Source Project hints that ART may be made default with the
next version of Android.
If you have ever
had a chance to build a ROM from source, it does not matter if it was AOSP or
some other distribution, you might have seen that the source tree has a lot of
folders. Some of these are responsible for keeping the device-specific parts
while others are used to coordinate the whole process of building.
If you ever wanted
to know what is kept inside of these mysterious folders, you should read a
guide written by XDA Senior Member #Superuser. The folder structure will no
longer be a mystery, as most of the folders are described. #Superuser also has
described the build-specific parts to help you better understand the process of
inheriting the source on various configurations.
The change is basically just a minor revision in the code that
sets ART to default and leaves Dalvik just as an option that you can fall back
to in the event when something goes wrong. At this moment, this change is
live in the master branch, but it is important to note that does not
necessarily mean we will see it pushed out with the next version of Android.
Code changes can happen often throughout the development process and the
developers could simply have added the change for testing purposes.
Let’s see if ART
is seriously ready to replace Dalvik or not.
Author
: Iman Majeed
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