The road to Gradle 9 by Alex Semin, Louis Jacomet

Explore Gradle 9's key features: Java 17 support, Configuration Cache improvements, isolated projects, enhanced performance, and better IDE integration for modern builds.

Key takeaways
  • Gradle 9.0 will require Java 17 minimum for the daemon, while still allowing Java 8 for workers and compilation
  • Configuration Cache is becoming a preferred execution mode in Gradle 9, with plans to make it enabled by default in the future
  • Isolated Projects feature is being introduced as an alpha experiment to enable parallel project configuration and better build scalability
  • Large-scale migration of core Gradle plugins to the Provider API 1.0 to improve build comprehensibility and enable future features
  • Kotlin DSL will be upgraded to Kotlin 2.0, enabling use of new Kotlin language features in build scripts
  • Enhanced error messages and build output improvements to make issues more actionable and easier to diagnose
  • Parallel configuration and execution capabilities are being expanded to improve build performance
  • New declarative Gradle format being experimented with to simplify build configuration and enable two-way tooling
  • Build scan improvements for better visualization and debugging of build performance
  • Focus on making upgrades smoother through deprecation cycles and upgrade guides
  • Improved IDE integration, particularly with IntelliJ IDEA for better developer experience
  • Remote caching capabilities being enhanced to support distributed teams
  • K2 compiler support coming for better Kotlin build performance
  • Emphasis on maintaining backward compatibility while introducing new features through minor releases before major versions