Java what is it

While working on your PC or browsing the web, whenever you see either of these icons, be assured the java virtual machine is loaded into your RAM. But what makes Java lucrative is that code, once compiled, can run not only on all PC platforms but also on mobiles or other electronic gadgets supporting Java.

Like the C compiler, the Java compiler does not produce native executable code for a particular machine. Instead, Java produces a unique format called bytecode. It executes according to the rules laid out in the virtual machine specification. Therefore, Java is a platform-independent language.

In short, the java source code can run on all operating systems. Skip to content. What is Java? What is Java Platform? Java Definition and Meaning Java is a multi-platform, object-oriented, and network-centric language. What is Java used for? Originally, it was developed for handling portable devices and set-top boxes. Oak was a massive failure. Java Versions Here are a brief history of all the Java versions with its release date. Java Features Here are some important Java features: It is one of the easy-to-use programming languages to learn.

Write code once and run it on almost any computing platform. Java is platform-independent. Some programs developed in one machine can be executed in another machine. It is designed for building object-oriented applications. It is a multithreaded language with automatic memory management. It is created for the distributed environment of the Internet. Facilitates distributed computing as its network-centric. All these functionalities happen inside the following 3 Java platform components: Java Development kit JDK JDK is a software development environment used for making applets and Java applications.

Why use JDK? It includes a compiler, Java application launcher, Appletviewer, etc. Compiler converts code written in Java into byte code. Java application launcher opens a JRE, loads the necessary class, and executes its main method.

Why JVM? It has numerous libraries, tools, and frameworks. Once you run a Java program, you can run on any platform and save lots of time. Hence, it runs faster than a regular application. Different Types of Java Platforms There are four different types of Java programing language platforms: 1. Report a Bug. Previous Prev. Next Continue. Home Testing Expand child menu Expand. SAP Expand child menu Expand. Web-Based Applications: Java is often employed to develop a broad range of interactive websites and web-based apps found in the insurance, social security, education and health sectors.

Financial and Retail Services: Java is used to write transaction management and billing applications, as well as server-side applications. By: Justin Stoltzfus Contributor, Reviewer. By: Satish Balakrishnan. Dictionary Dictionary Term of the Day. High-Performance Cloud Computing.

Techopedia Terms. Connect with us. Sign up. Term of the Day. Best of Techopedia weekly. News and Special Offers occasional. Java Reviewed by. Full Bio. View our Editorial Policy. It can also be used to build a small application module or applet a simply designed, small application for use as part of a Web page.

Applets make it possible for a Web page user to interact with the page. The answer lies primarily with the exhaustive testing, updating and consistency of delivery that Java has historically provided. Java has been tested, refined, extended, and proven by a dedicated community of Java developers, architects and enthusiasts. Despite origins dating back almost two decades, Java has consistently evolved over the years. Java is designed to enable development of portable, high-performance applications for the widest range of computing platforms possible, hence enabling the fundamental tenets of overarching accessibility as well as cross-platform interaction.

By making applications available across heterogeneous environments, businesses can provide more services and boost end-user productivity, communication, and collaboration—and dramatically reduce the cost of ownership of both enterprise and consumer applications. Ideally if you are an individual seeking to pursue a career as a Java developer, and even though this might appear far down the line of learning Java, but a valuable measure by which a potential Java developer might be judged, is their familiarity with:.

While the world of technology is constantly advancing, at what seems like a faster than ever pace, people, even coders, have a unfortunate tendency to forget about the origins. The underlying principles. The ideas which influenced an abundance of modern-day technology.

This is why Java is important- because not only does it continue to be a vital and invaluable programming language today, but it shaped the manner in which technology would unfold in the coming two decades, and continue to unfold for the unforeseeable future.