I'm not sure that this is the right category, so
please reassign as needed.

Merlin build used:
java version "1.4.0-beta_refresh"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.0-beta_refresh-b67)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.0-beta_refresh-b67, mixed mode)

I've noticed a serious - 10x for some cases - slowdown for some operations, like
arrays creation, in comparison to 1.3.1 (and earlier merlin builds).
The problem first appeared in Merlin build 47. The vm (classic/client/int)
doesn't matter.

Here is a test case:
-------------
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import java.util.Date;

public class Test {
    static private long start, end, total = 0;
    static final int SIZE = 500*500;
    public static void main(String[] args) {
if (args.length > 0) {
JFrame f = new JFrame("dd");
f.pack();
}
System.err.println("int:");
        int arr[];
        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
start = (new Date()).getTime();
arr = new int[SIZE];
end = (new Date()).getTime();
System.err.println(" time: " + (end - start));
total += (end - start);
}

System.err.println("byte:");
        byte barr[];
        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
start = (new Date()).getTime();
barr = new byte[SIZE];
end = (new Date()).getTime();
System.err.println(" time: " + (end - start));
total += (end - start);
}
        System.err.println("total: " + total);
        System.exit(0);
    }
}
-------------

Run it with 1.3.1:
#>/usr/local/java/jdk1.3.1/solsparc/bin/java Test
int:
 time: 13
 time: 13
 time: 12
 time: 7
 time: 3
 time: 4
 time: 4
 time: 3
 time: 3
 time: 4
byte:
 time: 1
 time: 0
 time: 2
 time: 1
 time: 2
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 2
 time: 1
 time: 1
total: 78

With 1.4 b67:
#>/usr/local/java/jdk1.4/solsparc/bin/java Test
int:
 time: 16
 time: 40
 time: 31
 time: 32
 time: 45
 time: 32
 time: 32
 time: 32
 time: 32
 time: 32
byte:
 time: 4
 time: 30
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 25
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
total: 390

As you can see, for int arrays of size 500x500 it's almost 10 times slower.

Even more interesting, run the same test with any parameter - it will then
create a Swing JFrame and realize it. The difference in time taken in this case
is even more dramatic:
#>/usr/local/java/jdk1.3.1/solsparc/bin/java Test d
int:
 time: 46
 time: 4
 time: 8
 time: 6
 time: 3
 time: 3
 time: 4
 time: 3
 time: 3
 time: 2
byte:
 time: 2
 time: 0
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 2
 time: 0
total: 92

and 1.4:
#>/usr/local/java/jdk1.4/solsparc/bin/java Test d
int:
 time: 137
 time: 121
 time: 113
 time: 159
 time: 116
 time: 120
 time: 114
 time: 121
 time: 115
 time: 114
byte:
 time: 4
 time: 10
 time: 112
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 1
 time: 114
 time: 2
total: 1477

dmitri.trembovetski@eng 2001-06-11