Java Programming Language
Java is a powerful, versatile, object-oriented programming language used for building cross-platform applications. It is widely used in enterprise, mobile (Android), web, and embedded systems development.
History of Java
- James Gosling developed Java at Sun Microsystems in 1995.
- Java was designed with the philosophy of "Write Once, Run Anywhere" (WORA).
- Over the years, Java has evolved with major versions introducing new features (generics, lambdas, streams, modules, etc.).
Where is Java Used?
- Enterprise Applications: Banking, insurance, and large-scale business software.
- Android Development: Most Android apps are written in Java.
- Web Applications: Java is used for server-side applications via frameworks like Spring.
- Embedded Systems: Java powers smart cards, sensors, and IoT devices.
- Scientific Computing: Used in scientific and research communities for simulations and calculations.
Characteristics of Java
- Object-Oriented: Supports OOP concepts like classes, objects, inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism, and abstraction.
- Platform Independent: Java code is compiled into bytecode, which runs on any system with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
- Strongly Typed: Variables must be declared with a type and type checking is enforced.
- Automatic Memory Management: Java uses garbage collection to manage memory.
- Rich Standard Library: Extensive APIs for networking, data structures, GUI, and more.
- Secure & Robust: Features like exception handling, strong type checking, and security manager.