History of Java
Java was originally founded by a team of engineers, namely, the Green Team. This team included James Gosling, Mike Sheridan, and Patrick Naughton who first developed Java in 1995.
Java was initially not as vast as it is now. It was only limited to the development of small and embedded systems. It was previously named GreenTalk but was later changed to Oak and then finally to Java.
Now that we have developed an understanding of what is Java and how it originated, let’s move to the big question which is highlighted in the title of this tutorial.
Why is Java so popular?
The versatile features of Java make it a very powerful programming language that can be used to develop various software platforms. Java code is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. The syntax of Java is very much like C and C++. Java can be used to build the following.
- Android Applications
- Web Applications
- Software Tools
- Scientific Applications
Apart from these, Java can be also be used for Big Data and Machine Learning projects. Features that make Java stand out amongst other languages are discussed below.
Advantages of Java
In order to highlight the distinctive features of Java, we have enlisted some of them here for you.
1. Easy to Learn
For people beginning to learn programming java is a very suitable choice. Driving much of its syntax from C and C++, Java is quite easy to learn.
2. Object-oriented
As already mentioned Java is an object-oriented programming language that makes its code reusable. It is easy to make modular programs that are easy to maintain and have high productivity. Along with these Java has numerous benefits being object-oriented programming, some are mentioned below.
- Reusable code
- Secure
- Enhanced productivity
- Flexible
- Maintainable code
3. Platform Independence
Code written in Java is flexible which means that it can move from one device to another. This platform independence makes Java a popular choice among developers of different applications and software.
4. Vast Usage
Java is the leading programming language that is used to build multiple applications and software. It can be used to develop
- Mobile Apps
- Web Apps
- Scientific Apps, and various software tools.
5. Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
The integrated development environment (IDE) of Java is enriched with multiple automation tools, editors, and debuggers. Following are the most renowned IDEs of Java.
- Eclipse
- IntelliJ Idea
- NetBeans IDE.
There are also some well-known Java tools such as,
- Maven
- ANT
- Jenkins
- JConsole
- Visual VM
Conclusion
The object-oriented programming language, Java, has versatile features that make it prominent among other programming languages and make it a popular choice among developers and programmers. Its integrated development environment (IDE), platform independence, and flexibility make it a very modern programming language. In this tutorial, we investigated different aspects of Java and on the basis of the advantages it provides, we also concluded the reasons why Java is a famous programming language.
