Java 16 Vector API (Incubator, JEP 395)

Java 16 introduced an incubator module for the Vector API, which is a new API that provides efficient and scalable support for vector operations in Java. The Vector API is designed to allow Java programs to take advantage of modern processor architectures that support SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) instructions, which can perform multiple operations in parallel using a single instruction.

Here is an example of how to use the Vector API in Java:

Vector<Double> v1 = Vector.of(1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0);
Vector<Double> v2 = Vector.of(4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0);
Vector<Double> v3 = v1.add(v2);
System.out.println(v3);  // Output: [5.0, 5.0, 5.0, 5.0]

In this example, we are using the Vector.of method to create two Vector objects containing the values 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0. We are then using the add method to add the two vectors element-wise and to create a new Vector object containing the result. Finally, we are using the println method to print the result to the console.

The Vector API provides a number of other methods and operations that can be useful for working with vectors, such as the ability to perform element-wise arithmetic operations, the ability to apply functions to each element of a vector, and the ability to reduce a vector to a scalar value.

One important thing to note about the Vector API is that it is currently an incubator module, which means that it is experimental and may change in future releases. It is also subject to additional restrictions and requirements, such as the need to enable the module explicitly and the need to comply with the terms of the Vector API incubator module license.