What is Java?

Ever since the inauguration of Java for the first time in 1995 by Sun Microsystems, it has become an eminent programming language for developers. The company has made much progress over the years and is being credited with the release of some of the most significant software products and applications running on the Java platform. Java is used in the development of several web design projects that require the users to install the Java software on the user’s system to run the applications. Initially released as an alternative to the C API (application programming interface) and C++ language programming, Java support was implemented by the Netscape Communications Corporation for the functioning of the Netscape browser.

Java: All You Will Ever Need to know

Sun Microsystems was acquired by the Oracle Corporation in 27 January, 2010. At present the company holds the authority of official implementation of the Java Standard Edition or the JSE. The JSE is also called the J2 SE which is the initial release of the Java 2 version. The different J2 versions are called the JSE, JEE (Java Enterprise Edition for enterprise based software application programs) and the JME (Java Micro Edition for mobile devices).

Java Programming Language

There are five main goals that the Java developers had in mind which prompted them to create the Java programming language.

  • Developing an easy to learn and execute object oriented programming language
  • Presence of robust and advanced security enhancements
  • Neutral architecture and portability
  • High level efficiency in performance
  • A highly dynamic and threaded program coding that is convenient to compile and interpret

One of the most interesting features of the Java programming is that the program code written in Java language will run in the similar fashion in all computing devices with same efficiency level independent of the browser or operating system used by the machine. The implementation of the byte codes eases the porting issues during the interpretation. The Java programming language is quite easy to excel over especially for new software professionals with the scope for lesser bugs and program link breakages due to the presence of configurations.

Operating Systems

Java is compatible for all major operating systems including Windows, Linux, Solaris and Mac OS X.

Devices

Java versions are on large scale usage in computing devices including desktop PC, Smartphone devices, tablets, laptops, Android devices, web server applications etc. Its convenience as an open source software platform and the advantage of maintaining configurations instead of complex programming code has prompted several developers to use it in enterprise based applications. Java has been used in the development process of several IT infrastructural framework and function libraries including Spring Framework, Dojo Toolkit etc. The Java open source implementation finds place in some of the most important tools including Apache ServiceMix Enterprise and the GlassFish application server.

Free Java Software Applications

Sun Microsystems has released several versions of the free Java software applications from time to time. The first ever free version of Java was released on 13 November 2006 which was also called free and open source software (FOSS) Java. JavaOne appeared in 2006 followed by the core Java Platform. Nowadays there are several popular free versions of Java applications are available for gaming purposes, website designing etc. perfectly designed for usage on mobile devices.

Resource Java

Resource is a term used in the Java programming language that signifies a piece of data accessible by a particular application code. The resources can be accessed by means of the uniform resource locators such as the web resources. The programmers need to access the JAR application files for locating the resources.

The term resource bundle is used to describe a set of value pairs and keys that are stored as a resource. There are used for allowing the localization of an application. The resource bundles are widely used for storing user interface texts, message translation basics etc. of an application.

Java Runtime Environment (JRE)

The execution environment of Java Oracle is also known as the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). The program is compiled in the form of Java bytecode and stored in the Java class files. The programs with such potable binary format coding of this sort are compatible for running on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). A program may be composed of one or more classes which are stored in different class files. TO ease out the organization of the files for the developers, these class files are stored in the .jar extension files or the Java archives. Some of the most popular JVM languages are Rhino, JRuby, Jython etc.

Why Java is so popular?

There are many reasons for ever rising popularity and acceptance of the Java programming and applications in the worldwide domain. Some of the most important aspects that have led to the rise in the popularity of different Java based products.

  • Security: The security is one of the key concerns that have been a major cause of worry for the website owners and web based application developers. The systems equipped with the Java platform can download risky codes from various suspicious sources and run it in the Java platform. The Java platform protects the system from any sort of potential harm obstructing the codes from releasing any sort of virus or malware into the system, reading source files and other contents on the user’s computing device, write anything on the hard drive etc. For instance, enterprise based Java application such as the JavaBeans are available for running under the restricted permission that eliminates the dangers of causing any damage to the host computer.
  • Network Oriented Programming: The main aim of the developers of the Java platform was to make the programming and application network centric. Working with the Java Resources is quite simple and makes it easy for even the beginners to deal with the most advanced programming structures. This widened the scope of implementation of the multi-tier architecture or server/client for developing network based applications.
  • Program Efficiency: One of the most important reasons for the overwhelming response from the developers is the provisions for achieving better program efficiency that they can derive from the Java programming. Java enables the programmers to write error free programs that are easy to run over different operating systems and reduces the potential time of the software applications.
  • Compiling and Interpretation: Compiling of the Java programs are done into byte codes. The Java program runs on the JVM by means of the interpretation of these byte codes. These byte codes are portable intermediate forms of coding that reduces the time consumption that is usually experienced in the case of other interpreted language programs and scripts. However some intensive portions of the program like string manipulation methodologies require native machine code implementation.  Over the years, there has been a considerable increase in the efficiency of the JVM accessibility in terms of speed. The Just in Time (JIT) compilers provide the greater speed for running Java programs that are equivalent to that of the C and C++ programs and applications.

Advantages of Using the Java Platform

Way back in the early 90s the developers facing problems with the C and C++ programming language, were in search of a convenient programming language that raises the opportunity to explore less of erroneous coding and program writing. Ever since the emergence of the Java as a strong programming language, the platform has been widely accepted and implemented in various software applications, website developing processes etc. Here are some of the advantages of using the Java language that makes it the most acceptable programming language:

  • The presence of an object oriented programming environment
  • Easy for the newbie programmers to learn the programming basics
  • Eases out the job of writing, compiling and debugging the program suitable for writing reusable codes and modular programs
  • Independent programming platform at the source and the binary levels
  • Suitability to move from one computer system to another which works best for the web based software applications
  • Presence of enhanced security features and cross platform enhancements make it the most opted out choice for the internet based applications
  • Once written these programs can be run anywhere
  • Convenience of integrating into all major operating systems
  • Once built and placed on the  eminent web browsers, Java can be placed on any computing device with internet connectivity

Where can I learn Java?

Java is a huge subject comprising of the programming language, software applications, open source tools and much more. The in depth training can be obtained from many reputed computer learning centers. Newbie learners who do not have any idea about the programming languages can obtain a lot of essential free Java tutorials online which will provide the basic conceptual understanding of the subject. It is important to note that there are several professional certification courses available in Java. The learning enthusiasts must ensure that they take up the right course that will enhance the opportunity in executing their job responsibilities with perfection.