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Oscar Jaroker
August 13th, 2022
Find out the main advantages of Java and why knowledge of it is in such high demand.
For Starters: What is Java?
A programming language created by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems in 1995, Java was originally intended for interactive television but was too advanced for the industry at the time. Currently, Java’s uses include internet programming, mobile devices, games, e-business solutions, etc. The language itself was designed for programmers to be able to ‘Write once, run anywhere' (WORA) on any Java-enabled machine, as opposed to other languages, like C++, in which code is converted into hardware-specific machine code. This trait and many others make Java a fast, light language highly sought after by companies all around the world.
Why Learn Java?
Popularity - Java is one of the top three most popular programming languages in the world(TIOBE Index), used in over 7 billion devices. As a result, Java programmers are needed by a wide variety of companies.
Easy to learn and understand - Given that Java’s syntax is similar to English and the keywords follow a simple logic (e.g., if/else, do/while, switch, etc.), the code is relatively easy to understand and it does not take much time getting used to actually writing the code.
A great starting point to learn other languages - Because Java requires many more lines of code compared to some other languages, like Python or C, it is easier to track what is actually going on in the code, providing a better understanding of programming concepts needed in all languages. This also makes the code easier to read and debug, allowing new coders to learn how to think like a programmer. Additionally, as one of the most popular languages, there are many valuable tutorial websites demonstrating every concept in Java.
Real-World Examples of Java’s uses
Java is the server-side language for most back-end development projects. Listed below are some of the most common examples of where Java is used.
Web Applications - Amazon, Google, LinkedIn, and Facebook are some of the many large web-based companies that use Java to develop the back-end of their services.
Mobile Applications - Spotify, Twitter, CashApp, and Netflix use Java’s J2ME cross-platform framework to develop applications most commonly found on smartphones and tablets.
Financial Applications - Citibank, Goldman Sachs, and other leading financial institutions use Java for their business. Banks require security and portability for their online services, which Java provides very well. Java contains many safety features and its automatic garbage collection significantly reduces memory leaks (Source).
Video Games - While Java is not the most popular language in video game production, it has certainly left its mark on the industry. The best-selling video game to date, Minecraft, was developed fully with Java, along with many other popular games.
Final Ideas to Think About
As you can see, Java’s popularity and versatility make it one of the most widely used back-end development languages in companies all around the world. As a result, Java programmers are constantly needed for innovating and improving, making it one of the highest-paying jobs in the industry.
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