Modular Java application packaging [JEP-275]
One of the great improvements in Java 9 is the size of the runtime binaries generated by the Java Packager. This is possible in part due to the Java Linker, which is covered in the next section. The Java Packager's workflow has essentially remained the same in Java 9 as it was in Java 8. There have been, as you will see later in this section, new tools added to the workflow.
The Java Packager solely creates JDK 9 applications. This change to the Java Packager is intended to streamline and make the process of generating runtime images more efficient. So, the Java Packager will only create runtime images for the SDK version that it is associated with.
Advanced look at the Java Linker
Prior to the Java Linker tool, jlink, introduced in Java 9, runtime image creation included copying the entire JRE. Then, unused components are removed. Simply put, jlink facilitates the creation of runtime images with only the required modules. jlink is used by the Java...
