What is Java - Do I Need It

Java is a programming language that is used to develop programs that run on Windows, Mac and Linux computers or may be integrated into websites. Java is fast, secure, and reliable. From laptops to data-centers, game consoles to scientific computers, cell phones to the Internet and more.

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What is Java

Java is among the top programming languages and no doubt will remain so for at least a decade. Java is being used in almost every website you can think of.

Being a general purpose programming language that is object-oriented, concurrent, class-based and designed to have very little implementation dependencies as possible. It is written to let developers "Write once, Run anywhere", meaning that compiled code can run on any platform that supports Java without the need for recompilation. Java applications are normally compiled to run on any Java virtual machine, regardless of computer architecture.

A programming language and computing platform first released by Sun Microsystems in 1995. There are many applications and websites that will not work properly unless you have Java installed, and more are being created with Java every day.

History of Java

Java was originally developed by James Gosling with his colleagues at Sun Microsystems during the early 1990s. Originally called a project Oak which had implementation similar to the programming languages of C and C++. The name Java has later was selected after enough brainstorming and is based on the name of an espresso bean. Java 1.0, the first version, was released in 1995 with the tagline of "Write once, run anywhere". Later, Sun Microsystems was acquired by Oracle. From there, there has been no looking back. The latest version of Java is Java 8 released on April 20, 2021.

Features of Java

Java offers plenty of attractive features. We have complied a short list here:.

• • Simple: Java is designed to be easy to learn. If you understand the basic concept of OOP Java, it is easy to master.
• • Secure: With Java's secure feature, it enables to develop virus and tamper free systems. Authentication techniques are based on public key encryption.
• • Object Oriented: With Java, everything is an Object. Java can be easily extended since it is based on the Object model.
• • Architecture Neutral: Java compiler generates an architecture neutral object file format. This makes the compiled code executable on many processors.
• • Platform Independent: Unlike most other programming languages, when Java is compiled, it is not compiled into a platform specific machine, rather into platform-independent byte code. This byte code is distributed over the web and interpreted by the Virtual Machine (JVM) on whichever platform it is being run on.
• • Interpreted: Java byte code is translated on the fly to the native machine instructions and is not stored anywhere. The development process is more rapid and analytical since the linking is an incremental and a lightweight process.
• • Portable: Being architecture neutral and having no implementation dependent aspects of the specification, this makes Java portable. The compiler in Java is written in ANSI C with a clean portability boundary.
• • Robust: Java makes an effort to eliminate error-prone situations by emphasizing mainly on compile time error checking and runtime checking.
• • Multithreaded: With the multithreaded feature, it is possible to write programs that can perform many tasks simultaneously. This design feature allows developers to construct interactive applications that will run smoothly.
• • Distributed: Java is designed for the distributed environment across the Internet.
• • High Performance: With the use of Just-In-Time compilers, Java enables high performance.
• • Dynamic: Java is considered to be more dynamic than C or C++ since it is designed to adapt to an evolving environment. Java programs can carry an extensive amount of run time information, which can be used to verify and resolve accesses to objects at run-time.

What is the Java Platform?

The Java platform is a software only platform quite different from traditional platforms like Windows, Mac, Linux or Solaris

There are four Java platforms of the Java programming language
Java SE (Java Platform, Standard Edition)
Java EE (Java Platform, Enterprise Edition)
Java FX (Java Platform, Special EFF-ECTS)
Java ME (Java Platform, Micro Edition)
While stand-alone applications can be built on the Java SE platform, most of the World Wide Web (Internet) depends on Java EE. Java ME is for applications on small devices (like mobile phones).

Is Java Free to Download?

Yes, Java is free to download. You can get the latest version at java.com
But Commercial license and support is available with a low-cost Java SE Subscription.

Can Java be a Security Threat

It has been said that: "If you do not need Java, do not install it on your personal computer". If Java is not installed, and you come across a website or program that requires it, you will be prompted to install it at that time. Make sure that you only install Java from the official website. When installing Java, set it to automatically update. Since Java runs on PCs and Macs, hackers can write Java programs that can infect almost every computer while just surfing the Internet. Keeping Java current and patched is critical to computer security.

If you are building an embedded or consumer device and would like to include Java, please contact Oracle for more information on including Java in your device
Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) PDF.

Always Upgrade to the Latest Java Version

The latest Java version contains important enhancements to improve performance, stability and security of the Java applications that run on your machine. Installing this free update will ensure that your Java applications continue to run safely and efficiently.

What Will I Get When I Install Java?

The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is what you get when you download Java software. The JRE consists of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), Java platform core classes, and supporting Java platform libraries. The JRE is the runtime portion of Java software, which is all you need to run it in your Web browser.

What is Java Plug-In Software?

Java Plug-in Software, also known as the Java browser plug-in or Java Runtime Environment (JRE) plug-in, is a component that allows web browsers to execute Java applets, (small Java programs embedded in web pages). It acts as a bridge between the browser and the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), enabling interactive content, such as animations, games, or data visualizations, to run within a browser.

• • Purpose: Runs Java applets in web browsers for dynamic web content.
• • Components: Includes the JRE, which provides the JVM and Java libraries needed to execute applets.
• • Browser Integration: Works with browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome (in older versions) via plug-in architecture.
• • Security: Applets run in a sandboxed environment to limit access to system resources, though vulnerabilities led to security concerns over time.
• • Decline: Modern browsers (e.g., Chrome, Edge) have phased out support for Java applets and plug-ins like NPAPI, favoring HTML5 and JavaScript. Oracle deprecated the Java browser plug-in in 2016.

It was widely used in the 1990s and 2000s but is largely obsolete today due to security issues and modern web technologies. If you need it for legacy systems, ensure you have the latest JRE version, but avoid using it for new development.

What is The "Java Virtual Machine" or "JVM"? Is this Java software?

The Java Virtual Machine is only one aspect of Java software that is involved in web interaction. The Java Virtual Machine is built right into your Java software download, and helps run Java applications.

Learn more about Java Technology Here

Java Resources

Java Resources for Students
Java Powers Our Digital World. Java is at the heart of our digital lifestyle. It's the platform for launching careers, exploring human-to-digital interfaces, architecting the world's best applications, and unlocking innovation everywhere.

Accessing Resources - Oracle
Resources, names, and contexts A resource is identified by a string consisting of a sequence of substrings, delimited by slashes, followed by a resource name. Each substring must be a valid Java identifier. The resource name is of the form shortName or shortName.extension.

Microsoft Docs
If you're new to Java or to particular subjects within Java, take a look at the Java learning path. This learning path provides a list of resources ranging from basic to advanced subjects.

Java Resources
Having problems running Java, e.g., blocked by security settings? See the Java Tips and Traps page!. This page is a collection of general resources on the Java language.

Opensource.com
Seven resources to grow your Java skills.

Rebel
Helpful Java Resources for Application Performance. Any developer can make an application, but it takes a metered and careful approach to create an application that performs well both at baseline and at scale.

Programiz
Java try-with-resources In this tutorial, we will learn about the try-with-resources statement to close resources automatically.

Java Security Resources
This page provides access to information related to Java security. We have customized this information for different types of Java users.

JavaScript IDE & JavaScript Editors

Repl.it
Providing online programming environment for many languages including Java. Java code editor with many ready to use examples and fully featured terminal emulator. Options to share your work with others, as well as saving the session on repl.it to work at a later date.

Codiva
Codiva.io is another good online compiler and IDE, similar to real desktop IDE. Some key features are: syntax highlighting and auto-complete. Compilation happens in the background, after every few keystrokes. The error lines are highlighted within a second after typing the code.

CompileJava.Net
CompileJava.Net is a simple online tool to compile and edit java code. Simply paste the code and click compile. CompileJava.Net is operational since 2013 and is available free. Used by java beginners, students and educational institutions for teaching Java programming.

Browxy.com
Browxy is among the top free online java compilers when it comes to features and ease of use. Very easy to use and simple java compiler. Provides three views – Console view, Applet view and log view to run and see your code execution.

Tutorialspoint.com
TutorialsPoint is a very popular website for learning various programming languages, including Java and java tutorials. The java compiler can be used to edit and run java code. Many features like creating and managing a full project, saving the code, downloading the code and much more.

CodeEnvy
CodeEnvy is popular with enterprises and is used by some big names including TIAA, YouthDigital and Redhat etc. Learning coding with free community edition of CodeEnvy which is also feature rich and offers many features to run, edit and compile java online.

JDoodle
Jdoodle is another very simple online Java compiler to edit, compile, execute, save and share java programs. Supporting all standard libraries, cs1.keyboard, as well as every other jar available on the maven repository. Support for other languages including PHP, C/C++ , Python, Ruby on Rails and Perl.

Java Online Compiler
Offering an editor window where you can write or copy, paste java code, click on run and see the result of the compiler and the output, live in the browser in two different windows.

Java Tutorials

Resources to Learn Java Programming Online.

Oracle Java Tutorials
An international software development giant, has its own free online Java course for beginners. This guide shows how to create applications in an easy and simple way. Besides the basics, you’ll also figure out what is s GUI, and how to create it, learn more about custom networking and Java Beans.

Java 101
Free online Java course gives access to Java World without installing anything. Use short and effective exercises to learn Java from scratch. With lots of examples.

Udemy
Udemy is one of the biggest sites for online courses. With 58 free Java programming courses. And with payment of $11, the number of classes increases to 730+. The user-friendly interface allows sorting courses by levels and languages. With different tests to check your knowledge.

Coursera
Coursera is one of the most well known places for online courses. Videos are available in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and French languages; to make it easier, you can also use subtitles. Find Java fundamentals, Java for Android, and Java for advanced levels.

Codecademy
Offering a free java programming course for beginners where you can master the basics of Java, work on seven different projects, including creating their own calculator. Conditionals and control flow, object-oriented programming, and data structures are in the syllabus.

edX
Learn Java for free with edX, These courses are presented by such famous institutes as MIT, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and UC3M. The majority of courses are self-paced.

Sololearn
Sololearn created a free course to learn Java. Their program consists of 6 modules and 65 lessons in total. With topics as loops and conditionals, arrays, classes and objects, exceptions, lists, threads and files.

Skillshare
Learn Java programming for free with their classes for all coders. Limited in time? Sort the lessons by length and choose the shortest ones. Shows the number of students enrolled as well as their reviews.

Home and Learn
Free Java Course is designed for beginners with no previous programming experience. All you need to start coding in Java is a Java Virtual Machine and a Software Development Kit. You’ll find all the necessary links within the course description.

Summary

In conclusion, Java remains a cornerstone of modern programming, powering everything from enterprise applications to mobile apps and web services with its robust, platform-independent capabilities. Its versatility, extensive libraries, and strong community support ensure it continues to thrive in diverse industries.

While the Java Plug-in for browsers has faded due to evolving web technologies, Java's core strengths, reliability, security, and scalability, keep it relevant for developers and businesses alike. Whether you're building a complex backend system or exploring IoT solutions, Java's enduring legacy and adaptability make it a vital tool in the ever-changing landscape of software development.

Author Bio: Dana Franklin

A esteemed contributor in the realms of technology and business. With a distinguished career marked by leadership roles within Fortune 500 companies...

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