frontpage.
newsnewestaskshowjobs

Made with ♥ by @iamnishanth

Open Source @Github

fp.

Open in hackernews

Understanding Java's Asynchronous Journey

https://amritpandey.io/understanding-javas-asynchronous-journey/
17•hardasspunk•11mo ago

Comments

Neywiny•11mo ago
I don't get it. The first example in JS vs Java looks very similar. Now all those other code blocks, they certainly have more going on but idk how that compares to JS. And to answer the questions:

A completable future is something that in the future may complete. I think that's self explanatory. A promise seems equally vague.

Boilerplate looks the same. JS is just a function, Java they put a class around it. Java requires exception handling which is annoying but having fought errors in async JS, I'll take all I can get.

API is eh. Sure. But that's not even shown in this example so I have no idea.

So JS saves like 3 lines? Is that really so much better?

cogman10•11mo ago
> A completable future is something that in the future may complete. I think that's self explanatory.

But not the reason for the name :).

It's called "completable" because these futures have a method on them `future.complete("value")`. Before their introduction, there was a `Future` API that java had.

nogridbag•11mo ago
Yeah that first example is rather poor. And it uses the word boilerpate to seemingly refer to the stuff unrelated to the async code (class declaration, exception handling, main method).

I don't use Java async much, but I guess if you have a utility method named "setTimeout" than the example can simply be:

    public CompletableFuture<String> fetchData() {
        return setTimeout(() -> "Data Fetched", 10000);
    }

    public void loadData() {
        fetchData().thenAccept(System.out::println);
    }
Which is simpler or equivalent to the JS example.
stevoski•11mo ago
The Java 1 example uses lambdas, which were introduced in Java 8.

It’s probably intentional, because it allows showing the Java 1 Thread approach succinctly.

But as long-term Java person, I find it jarring.

philipwhiuk•11mo ago
Java's had `var` since Java 10 but apparently the author deliberately ignored that to make the example as wordy as possible.

It's a little tiring to read a Java example with an entry-point (the public-static-void bit) and then a JavaScript example without one.

If you strip that out the original Java is:

  var future = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> {
        try {
                Thread.sleep(10000);
            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
            return "Data Fetched";
        });
  future.thenAccept(result -> System.out.println(result));
  System.out.println("Prints first"); // prints before the async result
which is only obtuse due to checked exceptions.

Arguably it's still a different thing you're doing, because it's not scheduling a task on a pool, it's creating a thread which sleeps for 10 seconds.

elric•11mo ago
`var` is very unhelpful in situations where the reader might not be entirely familiar with the context, especially when using factory methods.

I don't think the author was trying to make the example "wordy" so much as "clear".

cogman10•11mo ago
Also, arguably, the wrong way to do something like this.

The author uses `setTimeout` for javascript. The equivalent for Java is either the `Timer` class or a `ScheduledExecutorService`. Doing a `Thread.sleep` simply isn't how you should approach this.

With that in mind, if you want to use both these things and keep the completable future interface you'd have to do soemthing like this.

    ScheduledExecutorService scheduler = Executors.newScheduledThreadPool(1);
    var future = new CompletableFuture<String>();
    scheduler.schedule(()->future.complete("Data Fetched"), 10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
    future.thenAccept(result -> System.out.println(result));
    System.out.println("Prints first"); // prints before the async result
    scheduler.shutdown();
wpollock•11mo ago
In Java 24, new features support educational and demonstration use. You don't need a class to wrap your main method, which also has a simpler signature. To compare JavaScript with Java examples, one should make use of these features.

While the examples may need some work, I enjoyed this post, it nicely shows the evolution of Java concurrency.

AtlasBarfed•11mo ago
Does no.js still limit you to a single core/CPU use?

Or as a node successfully been able to start utilizing more cores underneath its JavaScript single thread model. It presents the programmer?

I just remember early node.js from like 15 years ago and the single background task limitation of JavaScript running in a web page.

Cuz you got async code is nice, but what you really wanted to be able to harness in modern CPUs is multi-core

That said, I've been looking for an article like this for a while, although I think there are other associated libraries that also had steps in here. I do think the jvm adopted a lot of those, but I'm not sure if they actually are better than the original extension libraries.

msgilligan•11mo ago
I simplified the first example to:

  void main() {
      CompletableFuture<String> future = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(this::asyncMethod);
      future.thenAccept(result -> IO.println(result));
      IO.println("Prints first");             // prints before the async result
      future.join();                          // Wait for future to complete
  }

  String asyncMethod() {
      try {
          Thread.sleep(10000);
      } catch (InterruptedException e) {
          return "Interrupted";
      }
      return "Data Fetched";
  }
I made the following changes:

1. Move the asynchronous function called in the CompletableFuture to its own method

2. Use Java 25 "instance main method" (see JEP 25: https://openjdk.org/jeps/512)

3. Use Java 25 IO.println() to simplify console output

4. Instead of throwing a fatal exception on interruption, return "Interrupted" immediately.

5. Use future.join() so the main method waits for the future to complete and the "Data fetched" output is printed.

This program can be run directly from source with `java Example.java`. (If you're using Java 24 or a version of Java 25 prior to EA 22, you need to use `java --enable-preview Example.java`)

Here is a modified version of the example that interrupts the thread:

  void main() {
      ExecutorService executor = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
      CompletableFuture<String> future = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(this::asyncMethod, executor);
      future.thenAccept(result -> IO.println(result));
      IO.println("Prints first");             // prints before the async result
      executor.shutdownNow();
      future.join();                          // Wait for future to complete
  }

  String asyncMethod() {
      try {
          Thread.sleep(10000);
      } catch (InterruptedException e) {
          return "Interrrupted";
      }
      return "Data Fetched";
  }

Filing the corners off my MacBooks

https://kentwalters.com/posts/corners/
999•normanvalentine•15h ago•474 comments

’Abhorrent’: the inside story of the Polymarket gamblers betting millions on war

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/11/polymarket-gamblers-betting-iran-war-ukraine-new...
42•sandebert•55m ago•5 comments

How to breathe in fewer microplastics in your home

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260410-how-to-breathe-in-fewer-microplastics-in-your-home
5•vinni2•21m ago•0 comments

Optimal Strategy for Connect 4

https://2swap.github.io/WeakC4/explanation/
111•marvinborner•2d ago•16 comments

Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

87•vidluther•7h ago•21 comments

Starfling: A one-tap endless orbital slingshot game in a single HTML file

https://playstarfling.com
294•iceberger2001•2d ago•80 comments

Volunteers turn a fan's recordings of 10K concerts into an online treasure trove

https://apnews.com/article/aadam-jacobs-collection-concerts-internet-archive-chicago-b1c9c4466a2d...
146•geox•3d ago•20 comments

1D Chess

https://rowan441.github.io/1dchess/chess.html
874•burnt-resistor•21h ago•151 comments

Installing every* Firefox extension

https://jack.cab/blog/every-firefox-extension
462•RohanAdwankar•15h ago•63 comments

Chimpanzees in Uganda locked in eight-year 'civil war', say researchers

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr71lkzv49po
362•neversaydie•18h ago•213 comments

Artemis II safely splashes down

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/artemis-ii-splashdown-return/
1015•areoform•13h ago•316 comments

How Passive Radar Works

https://www.passiveradar.com/how-passive-radar-works/
33•surprisetalk•2d ago•10 comments

AI assistance when contributing to the Linux kernel

https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst
376•hmokiguess•18h ago•271 comments

WireGuard makes new Windows release following Microsoft signing resolution

https://lists.zx2c4.com/pipermail/wireguard/2026-April/009561.html
499•zx2c4•21h ago•146 comments

France's government is ditching Windows for Linux, says US tech a strategic risk

https://www.xda-developers.com/frances-government-ditching-windows-for-linux/
119•pabs3•4h ago•61 comments

Industrial design files for Keychron keyboards and mice

https://github.com/Keychron/Keychron-Keyboards-Hardware-Design
395•stingraycharles•21h ago•124 comments

Productive Procrastination

https://www.maxvanijsselmuiden.nl/blog/productive-procrastination/
55•maxvij•8h ago•23 comments

CPU-Z and HWMonitor compromised

https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/10/cpuid_site_hijacked/
354•pashadee•23h ago•92 comments

Sybilproof reputation mechanisms (2005) [pdf]

https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/1080192.1080202
14•perfmode•3d ago•0 comments

Helium is hard to replace

https://www.construction-physics.com/p/helium-is-hard-to-replace
331•JumpCrisscross•22h ago•231 comments

JSON formatter Chrome plugin now closed and injecting adware

https://github.com/callumlocke/json-formatter
237•jkl5xx•18h ago•115 comments

Bevy game development tutorials and in-depth resources

https://taintedcoders.com/
98•GenericCanadian•2d ago•23 comments

A practical guide for setting up Zettelkasten method in Obsidian

https://desktopcommander.app/blog/zettelkasten-obsidian/
69•rkrizanovskis•2d ago•38 comments

20 years on AWS and never not my job

https://www.daemonology.net/blog/2026-04-11-20-years-on-AWS-and-never-not-my-job.html
190•cperciva•7h ago•43 comments

Italo Calvino: A traveller in a world of uncertainty

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/portrait-author-historian/italo-calvino-traveller-world-unce...
94•lermontov•13h ago•17 comments

Show HN: Hormuz Havoc, a satirical game that got overrun by AI bots in 24 hours

https://www.hormuz-havoc.com/
5•kupadapuku•2h ago•0 comments

Quien – A better WHOIS lookup tool

https://github.com/retlehs/quien/
55•bretthopper•9h ago•20 comments

The Bra-and-Girdle Maker That Fashioned the Impossible for NASA

https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-bra-and-girdle-maker-that-fashioned-the-impossible-for-nasa/
109•sohkamyung•2d ago•7 comments

Watgo – A WebAssembly Toolkit for Go

https://eli.thegreenplace.net/2026/watgo-a-webassembly-toolkit-for-go/
105•ibobev•18h ago•7 comments

Intel 486 CPU announced April 10, 1989

https://dfarq.homeip.net/intel-486-cpu-announced-april-10-1989/
177•jnord•1d ago•158 comments