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An Introduction to Java |
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The Java programming language was released in 1995 by Sun Microsystems as part of the Java platform. The language itself is an object oriented language with a similar syntax to C++. The main special characteristic of Java over many other programming languages is its portability. The same Java program should run on any supported system irrespective of its architecture. Thus, once a program is written and compiled it should be possible to run it on any system. This ability is achieved through the program being compiled into Java bytecode, as opposed to machine code. The Java bytecode is interpreted by a virtual machine installed on the host system. It is the virtual machine that is specific to the system architecture. Generally the virtual machine takes the form of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for standalone applications, or a web browser for Java applets. The portability of Java programs means that its use is not confined to computers systems. Java applications are common on mobile phones, and it is also used regularly in TV set-top boxes. In fact, Java has penetrated many aspect of our electronic lives, for example, it is used in printers, sat-navs, lottery terminals, parking payment stations, web-cams, Blu-Ray players, Amazon`s Kindle, and medical devices. From a developer`s point-of-view, the versatility and portability of Java is very appealing. It also makes it very easy for the developer`s application to be accessible to the greatest number of potential users. A lot of programmer`s will come to Java knowing other languages, and because its syntax is very similar to that of C++, it makes it very easy to pick up quickly if you have already learnt C++. Certainly the familiarity of the syntax has contributed to the popularity of Java with developers. There are some significant differences between the two languages, such as Java being an entirely object oriented language: all code is written inside a class and everything is an object. Also, Java does not have pointers, operator overloading and multiple inheritance, which is mainly to make it simpler. Java has its own built-in applications programming interfaces (APIs) that can handle graphics and user interfaces, making it ideal for creating applications. For example the swing API is used to provide a graphical user interface (GUI). Other APIs deal with aspects like images, sounds and drag & drop functionality. Java also has its own libraries because, as it is platform independent, it cannot rely on the libraries provided by the host operating system. These provide the programmer with a comprehensive set of well-known reusable functions, such as those needed for mathematics. In addition to these standard libraries Java includes libraries for functions that are highly dependent on the host operating system, such as network and file access. Sun Microsystems produces the Java Development Kit that contains all the primary components of Java, along with some programming tools. It was released under the GNU General Public License, and is therefore available for free. The widespread use of Java, and particularly because it is used in such a diverse set of devices, means that it is an incredibly useful language for a computer programmer to know. For this reason learning materials, such as books on Java, have become very popular, and any colleges and home learning providers offering computer courses are likely to offer Java courses over other languages. Therefore anybody who has the desire to study IT & computing courses should seriously consider studying Java, as it is likely to prove a most sought after skill now and in the future. Go back to Programming Articles home page
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