Introduction
Java is a general-purpose programming language used to develop many different applications like Android apps, web apps and desktop apps. The Java runtime environment provides an application development platform that allows developers to build their applications using building blocks called packages.
These packages are installed on a user’s computer, loaded into memory when an application needs them. Java is an object-oriented programming language that uses various features from C and C++. As a result, Java looks very different from other languages like Python or Ruby in its syntax.
If you are looking for Java tutorials and are interested in Java courses, you probably already know that Core Java and Advanced Java can be learned separately.
Core Java: Core Java provides the foundation for any application or software. If you need an app that interacts with a database or a developer who needs to build an app on the fly, then this would be your language of choice.
Advanced Java: Advanced Java focuses more on speed and efficiency than anything else. They are used to build devices that process vast amounts of data quickly, such as devices in real-time applications like trading systems or AI robots.
Use and Importance of Java
The demand for Java programming language in the market shows that Java is a language that can be used to build applications on any platform. In addition, it is capable of high performance, scalability, and security. Java has been around for more than two decades and dominates the tech market with its unique features and capabilities.
Java is one of the most used programming languages and software development platforms in the IT industry. Java is used in finance, healthcare, and automotive manufacturing. The language is also used to create desktop software. Java has many uses, one of the most well-known being its use by Oracle and IBM to develop software for their databases.
Java is designed according to Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) principles which helps programmers make programs easier to structure, manage and understand. It also allows programmers to easily reuse code among many programs in one project or across projects within one company.
Pros and Cons of Java
Java is used in many industries such as software development, scientific computing, embedded systems, and gaming.
Java has many pros and cons, which we will discuss in this section. Firstly, Java is a prevalent language. As a result, it has the most developers, according to Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2017. This popularity makes it easier for developers to find jobs and make a living with Java skills.
However, there are also some drawbacks to using the Java programming language. One of them is that it can be hard to find support when you are stuck with a problem. Secondly, it can be hard to learn Java on your own without any help from other programmers or tutorials online because of its complex syntax and libraries with many classes and methods
Here are the top 3 pros and cons of using Java Programming Language.
Pros –
- Object-oriented Programming
- Standard for Enterprise computing
- Platform independency
- Object-oriented Programming
As Java is object-oriented, it encompasses object-oriented programming (OOP). That is, Java allows you to define both the type and structure of data and the functions to be applied to it. As a result, your Data type structure becomes a logical object that can now be interacted with to form relationships between it and other objects.
As opposed to procedural programming, OOP allows you to group variables and functions by context so they can be labeled and accessible in the context of specific objects, unlike procedural programming.
- Standard for Enterprise computing
Java’s greatest strength is enterprise applications. However, its origins can be traced back to the 1990s, when companies searched for robust programming tools that weren’t C. As a result, the Java platform supports several libraries, which are the building blocks of any enterprise system, allowing developers to build whatever functions a company may need.
In most schools and universities, Java introduces students to computer programming. Furthermore, many hosting providers support Java, which makes its integration capabilities impressive. Additionally, Java has the advantage of being comparatively cheap to maintain because you don’t need particular hardware infrastructure to run your servers.
- Platform Independency
The WORA (Write Once Run Anywhere) motto by Sun Microsystems describes the cross-platform nature of Java. The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) allows you to develop Java on any platform that supports Java. So, for example, you can develop Java programs on Windows, compile them to bytecode, and then run them on any other platform that supports Java.
JavaVM acts as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the code in this case. Support for JVM is available in all major operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. You can share bytecode – maybe not all of it – but bytes can be shared in many programs unless they heavily rely on platform-specific features.
Cons –
- Paid commercial license
- Poor Performance
- Complex Code
- Paid commercial license
In 2019, Oracle planned to begin charging for Java Standard Edition 8 for “business, commercial, or production” purposes. You’ll need to pay per processor or user to receive all new updates and bug fixes.
Java’s current version is free to download and distribute for general-purpose computing. If the price upgrade proves too costly, companies should seek an alternative technology. Each firm should evaluate how much Java it uses.
- Poor Performance
Due to the abstraction level and compilation of a virtual machine, any high-level language is prone to poor performance. However, Java’s often criticized speed is not solely due to this. For example, take garbage collector. The garbage collector is a valuable feature that unfortunately can lead to significant performance problems if it takes more than 20 per cent of CPU time. There are also thread deadlocks when multiple threads use the same resource.
- Complex Code
When the code uses too many words, it’s called Verbose. It might seem like an advantage while trying to learn the language. However, long, over-complicated sentences make the code less readable. In addition, many high-level languages generate too much noise by attempting to imitate English. Java, which was intended to make the intimidating C++ more approachable, encourages coders to write precisely what they mean, making the language more apparent to non-experts and less compact.
Conclusion
The demand for Java programmers increased between 2013 and 2017, with a CAGR of 12.2%. This demand is driven by implementing the Java programming language in the application development field. In addition, Java is a general-purpose programming language adopted as one of the most popular languages used by developers worldwide.
Java is primarily used in Android applications because it provides several useful features, such as its support for XML and JSON, which make app development easier to manage across platforms.
The demand for Java in the market has increased over the years, and it currently holds 58% of the programming languages market share. This can be attributed to its multitasking capabilities and ability to run on multiple operating systems.