Java (programming language)

Duke (Java mascot) waving

James Gosling 2008

JavaUniverse

Java (programming language) is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It was originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. Java applications are typically compiled to bytecode that can run on any Java virtual machine (JVM) regardless of the underlying computer architecture. The syntax of Java is similar to C++, but it has fewer low-level facilities than either C or C++.

History[edit | edit source]

The history of Java dates back to 1991, when a project called Green Team, led by James Gosling, aimed at developing a language for digital devices such as set-top boxes and televisions. However, it was first released for the digital mobile devices. The language was initially called Oak after an oak tree that stood outside Gosling's office, later it was renamed to Java, after the Java coffee that is said to be consumed in large quantities by the language's creators.

Features[edit | edit source]

Java boasts several features that have contributed to its popularity, including:

Platform Independence: Java's most significant feature is its platform independence, which is achieved through the use of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Java programs can run on any device that has a JVM, making the code portable and reusable across different platforms.

Object-Oriented: Java is strictly object-oriented, which means that everything in Java is an object, excluding the primitive data types.

Robust and Secure: Java provides a secure environment for code execution by incorporating a set of security mechanisms such as the bytecode verifier and the security manager.

Multithreaded: The Java language is designed with built-in support for multithreaded programming, allowing developers to build applications with multiple concurrent threads of execution.

Rich Standard Library: Java provides a comprehensive standard library that covers everything from basic data structures to networking and graphical user interface (GUI) development.

Java Virtual Machine (JVM)[edit | edit source]

The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) is the cornerstone of Java's platform independence. It is an abstract computing machine that enables a computer to run a Java program. There are three notions of the JVM: specification, implementation, and instance. The JVM operates on bytecode, which is the machine language for the JVM. Java source code is compiled by the Java compiler into bytecode, which is executed by the JVM, making Java applications platform-independent.

Development[edit | edit source]

Java development has been guided by the principles of "Write Once, Run Anywhere" (WORA), meaning that code that runs on one platform does not need to be recompiled to run on another. Java is used in a variety of computing platforms from embedded devices and mobile phones to enterprise servers and supercomputers. The development of Java and its evolution is managed by the Java Community Process (JCP), which uses Java Specification Requests (JSRs) to propose and specify additions and changes to the Java platform.

Versions[edit | edit source]

Java has seen numerous versions since its inception, with each major release adding new features and improvements to the language and its libraries. Notable versions include:

Java 1.0 (1996)
Java 2 (1998), which introduced the Swing graphical API
Java 5 (2004), which introduced generics
Java 8 (2014), which introduced lambda expressions
Java 11 (2018), which is the latest long-term support (LTS) version as of the last update of this article

Usage[edit | edit source]

Java is widely used in enterprise environments and for building web applications, mobile applications (especially Android apps), and large systems. Its reliability, scalability, and maintainability make it a popular choice among developers and organizations around the world.

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