What is Dalvik?

If you are like many people you may be wondering what Dalvik is. Anyone using Andriod or any type of Google phone will have heard about Dalvik or will have at least heard the term used. What is Dalvik exactly and how can you benefit from it?

Anyone with an Andriod phone is working with Dalvik. It is not Java like many phones are as it uses some Java bycode but it's not the main source of the Andriod applications even though it does use a large percentage of it. Dalvik is a VM or virtual machine that is used to power Andriod. Google uses Dalvik on a number of their processing systems from their tablet PCs to the computers and of course the Andriod phone.

Anyone using the Dalvik code will have a cache file called the Dalvik Executable format code it is abbreviated at .dex. It is a nice system on smaller devices or those that do not have a large memory or processor speed.

Dan Bornstein created Dalvik as an open-source software which allows it to use memory to memory instructions and makes it very easy to use and transfer data. The problem is that it is very similar to that of Java and other applications, which has sparked a lawsuit from Oracle. Dalvik allows for duplicate strings of data to be included in the output process, which aids in providing additional space for data and other files.

Since it is created as a low memory program it does make it ideal for Andriod phones and Tablet PCs because they need to have smaller memory blocks to conserve space. One of the big components to Dalvik is that it uses a 16-bit instruction set which differs from the 8-bit that Java uses.

Unlike many other devices, Andriod doesn't come with a Java virtual machine. It instead replaces the Java with Dalkvik as it does provide more for less. Since Java requires very powerful and large platforms to run on Dalkvik makes it possible for Andriod users to have a similar Java experience but for a lower cost.

Dalkvik is a register-based platform which also aids in helping it to run faster compared to the stack base that Java uses. What this means is your memory system is in a "stack" so when you pull from one application, it is pulled from the stack and moved to the top or bottom where it is able to be used. Then it will be moved from the stack when you pull up another program, this is how Java operates. Now with the register based program you don't have a stack to pull from. Instead you are able to use several units of memory at the same time, allowing you to have faster performance and avoiding the small memory units that you may be accustom to.

So what this means is you will have a Java program, and a smartphone where you are limited to running a single program at once. With the Dalvik system you have multiple systems open at the same time, providing you with ready applications. Each application you are running will be appointed its own Dalvik code machine and will run off that portion of the memory. This will reduce the memory consumption by a lot and will really help to save you a ton of wasted energy on your phone while it is "processing" and freezes and causes you to reboot to use the applications.

Dalvik is what makes Andriod run so effectively and it is the reason why many people are turning to Andriod phones over phones that support Java interface.