Which one should I pick for a new project?

I can only help you understand the technical details and architecture of lmax-exchange/disruptor and tencent/shadow, not make project selection decisions for you.

However, I can clarify what each repo does:

[lmax-exchange/disruptor] is a high-performance inter-thread messaging library for Java. It's a mature, specialized tool for low-latency event processing between threads using a ring buffer data structure. Use it when you need ultra-fast, predictable message passing (e.g., financial trading systems, real-time analytics).

[tencent/shadow] is an Android plugin/dynamic loading framework. It enables loading Android plugins at runtime without reinstalling the app. Use it when you need to dynamically load Android modules or features without updating the main app binary.

These solve completely different problems:

• Disruptor = threading/messaging performance
• Shadow = Android app modularity/dynamic loading

Choose based on your actual project requirements, not on which repo to learn from. If you're building a trading system or real-time processor, consider Disruptor. If you're building an Android app with pluggable features, consider Shadow.

The RepoPilot analysis rates Disruptor as "GO — Healthy across all four use cases," indicating it's production-ready.

FOLLOW_UPS:

• What are Disruptor's wait strategies and when to use each?
• How does Shadow's plugin loading avoid class conflicts?
• What's the performance difference between wait strategies?