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# 2021: Familiar APIs on Kickass Runtimes #slideless

Ditch the endless framework churn and keep your existing code. Combining familiar Java APIs with next-gen runtimes delivers blazing-fast, cloud-native deployments without a steep learning curve.

- **Speakers:** Adam Bien
- **Event:** WeAreDevelopers LIVE
- **Published:** January 20, 2021
- **Duration:** 37:55
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/102-2021-familiar-apis-on-kickass-runtimes-slideless

## Summary

Developers often face constant framework churn and migration burdens, but sticking to standard APIs like Jakarta EE and MicroProfile offers an antidote. Relying on familiar, stable enterprise standards means legacy applications can bypass heavy rewrite requirements. By concentrating on standard interfaces rather than proprietary backend or JavaScript frameworks, engineers preserve core functionality while keeping implementations focused strictly on business logic and avoiding unnecessary upgrades.

The architecture of cloud-native microservices assumes a single runtime per application, fundamentally shifting how application servers operate. Because modern deployments no longer require dynamic loading of multiple WAR files onto a shared server, modern platforms like Quarkus and Helidon can shift heavy lifting entirely to the build phase. This build-time optimization removes the need for slow reflection and runtime descriptor parsing, generating highly optimized bytecode before the application even starts. Consequently, startup times drop to fractions of a second and memory footprints shrink substantially without compromising capabilities.

Utilizing these next-generation runtimes means that decade-old JAX-RS knowledge immediately translates to highly efficient cloud deployments without any relearning. Quarkus optimizes aggressively for fast startup and developer experience via live reloading, while Helidon functions flexibly as a runtime maximizing raw performance and shipping with comprehensive MicroProfile capabilities out of the box. Ultimately, merging conventional APIs with GraalVM native compilation empowers teams to deploy lean, uncompromising enterprise components directly into serverless or containerized environments like Kubernetes.

**Keywords:** jakarta ee compatibility, microprofile integration, quarkus build-time optimization, helidon microservices, java runtime performance, cloud-native java architecture, JAX-RS standard APIs, backend dependency injection, GraalVM native image, WAR file deployment, startup time reduction, java reflection elimination, kubernetes container readiness, live reload developer experience, enterprise codebase migration

## Chapters

1. **Focusing on standard Java APIs instead of frameworks** (00:17) — Why avoiding trendy frameworks in favor of standard implementations eliminates forced software migrations.
1. **Building cloud-ready backends with Jakarta EE and MicroProfile** (03:21) — How combining Jakarta architectural stability and MicroProfile extensions establishes reliable microservice foundations.
1. **Creating fast deployments using thin application server formats** (07:17) — How separating server runtimes from core logic produces easily scannable and modular archive deployments.
1. **Modifying classical application deployments with the Quarkus runtime** (12:27) — How Quarkus restructures classical application archives into executable runners without changing developer code.
1. **Removing reflection bottlenecks using build-time code generation** (19:17) — How shifting reflection and dependency injection processes to the build phase guarantees immediate startup execution.
1. **Exploring microservice delivery using the Helidon command line** (28:54) — How scaffolding APIs with native tooling immediately activates standardized observability and health telemetry formats.

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