TL;DR
A recent blog argues that modern Java and its ecosystem are ready to power terminal applications and TUIs, countering common excuses about startup speed, verbosity, and tooling. The author highlights tools such as JBang, JReleaser, GraalVM native images, PicoCLI and growing TUI libraries as the foundation for a Java renaissance in the terminal.
What happened
A commentary published at the end of 2025 argues that Java is now well positioned to be a first-class language for command-line tools and terminal user interfaces (TUIs) in 2026. The author contends that previous objections—slow startup, heavyweight tooling, and verbosity—no longer hold, citing modern runtimes, single-file source programs, jshell, and JBang for lightweight scripting. For native-like startup and distribution, the piece points to GraalVM native image and JReleaser. Existing argument parsing and concurrency solutions such as PicoCLI and Project Loom (virtual threads) are highlighted as enabling building serious CLI apps. The post also notes legacy and emerging Java TUI projects (Lanterna, Jexer, a Casciian fork, and an early Bubble Tea port called Latte) and urges the community to build, document, distribute and showcase Java terminal apps, rather than defaulting to Python, Rust, Go or Node.js.
Why it matters
- If Java can be adopted for terminal tools, developers can reuse existing language skills and ecosystem libraries for CLIs and TUIs.
- Improved startup and distribution options could make Java tools easier to install and run across platforms.
- A stronger Java presence in the terminal space would broaden the diversity of tooling and approaches available to users.
- Enterprise-grade libraries and concurrency primitives could enable more robust terminal applications and AI-powered CLI tools.
Key facts
- The author says many recent LLM-powered terminal apps are written in Python, Rust, Go or Node.js rather than Java.
- PicoCLI is cited as a solution for argument parsing in Java CLIs.
- Project Loom (virtual threads) is noted for simplifying concurrency in Java programs.
- GraalVM native image is recommended to achieve faster startup times for Java tools.
- JBang is described as a way to run single-file Java scripts, JARs, or artifacts from Maven Central directly.
- JReleaser is presented as a tool to automate releases across channels such as GitHub Releases, Homebrew, SDKMAN, Docker and native packages.
- Historical Java TUI libraries like Lanterna and Jexer exist; Jexer has a new fork called Casciian and there is an early Bubble Tea port named Latte.
- Modern Java features cited include jshell, single-file source programs and improved runtime startup characteristics.
- Frameworks such as Quarkus, Micronaut and Spring Boot are mentioned as having CLI support and native image capabilities.
What to watch next
- Adoption and development activity around Java TUI libraries (Lanterna, Jexer/Casciian, Latte) as evidence of ecosystem momentum.
- Usage growth for JBang as a distribution and execution model for single-file Java tools and artifacts.
- How widely JReleaser is used to publish Java CLI tools into package managers like Homebrew and SDKMAN.
- Improvements and adoption of GraalVM native images to address startup and distribution needs.
Quick glossary
- TUI: Terminal User Interface — an application interface that runs in a text terminal and provides structured, interactive displays.
- JBang: A tool that lets you run single-file Java programs, JARs, or artifacts from repositories directly, simplifying scripting and distribution.
- GraalVM native image: A technology that compiles Java applications ahead-of-time into a native binary to reduce startup time and memory footprint.
- JReleaser: A release automation tool that can build and publish artifacts and native images to multiple distribution channels and package managers.
- PicoCLI: A library for parsing command-line arguments and building Java-based CLI applications.
Reader FAQ
Is Java still too slow to start for CLI tools?
The source argues modern Java runtimes and GraalVM native images address startup concerns and that 'slow startup' is an outdated excuse.
Do you need to use another language to build terminal UIs?
According to the piece, no; the author says Java already has libraries and tools to build CLI apps and TUIs and urges developers to use them.
How can Java tools be distributed easily?
The article highlights JBang for running scripts/artifacts directly and JReleaser for automating releases to Homebrew, SDKMAN, Docker and other channels.
Are there existing Java TUI libraries?
Yes; the post mentions Lanterna and Jexer, notes a Jexer fork called Casciian, and references an early Bubble Tea port named Latte.
2026: The Year of Java in the Terminal Tuesday December 30, 2025 (2 days ago) Max Rydahl Andersen Look, I’m going to say something that might sound crazy to some…
Sources
- 2026: The Year of Java in the Terminal
- 9 Modern CLI Tools You Should Try in 2026
- Java Licensing & Compliance: What Will Change by 2026?
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