The next version of the Ruby language implementation for the JVM will be compatible with the upcoming Ruby 3.4.0 release and Rails 7.1 and later.
JRuby, which dates back to 2001 as a Ruby language implementation for the JVM, is set to arrive at version 10 shortly after the new year. JRuby 10 promises to be fully compatible with Ruby 3.4.0, a planned update to Ruby that brings changes for frozen string literals and class updates. JRuby 10 will also support Rails 7.1 and later versions.
This will be the first time JRuby is released with compatibility with the latest version of Ruby, said JRuby project co-leader Charles Oliver Nutter, architect and technologist at Headius Enterprises, which supports JRuby. With the planned JRuby 10 release, a minimum of Java 17 or Java 21 will be required, enabling JRuby to take advantage of more-modern JVM features, Nutter said.
The developers of JRuby are particularly interested in virtual thread support from Java’s Project Loom, to implement fibers, a key Ruby feature, Nutter said. “I think developers should be excited about JRuby because we are constantly pushing the edges of what Ruby and dynamic languages can do on the JVM, and taking advantage of as many new OpenJDK features as we can,” Nutter said on September 28. “We continue to support all compatible JVMs on a broad range of platforms, and are still the best way to scale Ruby and Rails applications to enterprise levels.” Nutter co-leads the development of JRuby with Thomas Enebo.
Ruby itself, meanwhile, has entered a utilitarian phase of life, still powering a large number of new applications in startups but not making big headlines anymore, Nutter said. As a result, more and more companies are turning to JRuby, which benefits from features of the JVM that support the building of desktop applications, mobile apps for Android, and deployment of exotic operating systems, Nutter said.
The current release of JRuby is version 9.4.8.0. Headius Enterprises was launched in July 2024 to provide continuing support for the JRuby project and users. The company has taken over the development of JRuby from Red Hat, which no longer sponsors the project, Nutter said.
