We don’t know when Google will unveil the next major version of Android (although next week is one possible scenario) but one key feature appears to have been confirmed. Code commits made to the AOSP master branch reveal that the mobile operating system is about to get a new default runtime compiler. The aging Dalvik has been replaced by ART (Android Runtime).
For most Android users, the change will mean little but the runtime compiler is a key component of the operating system. It is responsible for making your apps run inside Android. Whereas Dalvik is a JIT (Just-in-Time) compiler that executes code only when it’s needed, ART is an AOT (Ahead-of-Time) compiler that executes the code before it is needed. The benefits can include faster startup times, better app performance and longer battery life.
Here’s how the change looks in the code commits:
Dalvik is dead, long live Dalvik! DO NOT MERGE
croot
cd libcore
repo start dalvik-is-dead-long-live-dalvik .
repo sync -c .
git rm -r libdvm
git add JavaLibrary.mk (after removing libdvm references, adding explict core-libart references)
git add Docs.mk (after replacing references to libdvm with libart)
git add benchmarks/Android.mk (after adding explict core-libart references)
git add Android.mk (after removing dalvik-host target)
git commit -a -m ‘Dalvik is dead, long live Dalvik! DO NOT MERGE’
In fact, ART is available in Android 4.4 but it is not the default option. Users instead have to go into the Developer options and select it in order to run it.
It remains to be seen if Google will announce that ART is becoming its default runtime compiler at next week’s Google I/O conference. If it does unveil the next major version of Android, it will likely talk about this change as it could lead to some significant performance improvements.
Source : xda-developers