Add java AWT support

[SDIDSA]

this feature request must be submitted to the substrate VM team but I don't know where can I do that

add java AWT support

the feature is related to the IllegalArgumentException that occurs when you try to run a native image of an AWT based java app that was compiled with GraalVM
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: AWT is currently not supported on Substrate VM

the native image gets generated correctly and the exception would be thrown in run time whenever you try to use a java AWT function.

anyone who uses java AWT to develop desktop applications with java, and more generally anyone who needs a feature that is supported by java AWT and not JavaFX yet (adding system tray icons, for instance, or displaying system notifications are features that are not (yet) implemented in JavaFX and a developer has to use the said functionalities from AWT)

[fniephaus]

TruffleSqueak uses AWT in JVM mode and we replace the display infrastructure with an SDL2 backend when AOT compiling with native image:
https://github.com/hpi-swa/trufflesqueak/blob/master/src/de.hpi.swa.trufflesqueak/src/de/hpi/swa/trufflesqueak/aot/SDL.java

[SDIDSA]

TruffleSqueak uses AWT in JVM mode and we replace the display infrastructure with an SDL2 backend when AOT compiling with native image

This seems promising for my needs and assuming I understood correctly, I will need to replace any AWT use in my project with de.hpi.swa.trufflesqueak.aot before creating the native image
I still have some questions :

• Does the SDL2 binding for SubstrateVM (provided with truffleSqueak) provide an implementation for all the functionalities provided by java AWT?
• Will the resulting native-image be JVM independent?

[fniephaus]

Does the SDL2 binding for SubstrateVM (provided with truffleSqueak) provide an implementation for all the functionalities provided by java AWT?

There's no direct mapping, you have to substitute your AWT-based components with an alternative SDL implementation. Here're TruffleSqueak's substitutions: https://github.com/hpi-swa/trufflesqueak/blob/6847f0220af9d65e352ffe1709b3cd2c3a48e664/src/de.hpi.swa.trufflesqueak/src/de/hpi/swa/trufflesqueak/aot/SqueakDisplaySubstitutions.java#L51

Will the resulting native-image be JVM independent?

Yes, but the binary will depend on SDL (which is available for different platforms). So that means users must install it on their system.

I'd consider this approach a workaround until AWT is fully supported by native image. I assume, however, that this will take some time unless someone really needs and builds it.