JAVA

Java is a versatile, high-level, object-oriented programming language designed for building robust, secure, and platform-independent applications. Created by James Gosling and developed by Sun Microsystems (now part of Oracle Corporation) in 1995, Java is widely used for a variety of applications, from mobile apps to enterprise-level systems.

Java is a programming language and a platform. Java is a high level, robust, object-oriented and secure programming language.

Java was developed by Sun Microsystems (which is now the subsidiary of Oracle) in the year 1995. James Gosling is known as the father of Java. Before Java, its name was Oak. Since Oak was already a registered company, so James Gosling and his team changed the name from Oak to Java.

Platform: Any hardware or software environment in which a program runs, is known as a platform. Since Java has a runtime environment (JRE) and API, it is called a platform.

Key Features of JAVA:

Platform Independence:
- Write Once, Run Anywhere (WORA): Java code is compiled into bytecode, which can run on any device with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM), regardless of the underlying hardware or operating system.
Object-Oriented:
- Java is built around the principles of object-oriented programming (OOP), such as encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction.
Robust and Secure:
- Java includes error-checking mechanisms and security features to ensure safe execution of code.
Automatic Memory Management:
- Java has a built-in garbage collector to manage memory by automatically deallocating unused objects.
Rich Standard Library:
- Java provides an extensive standard library (Java API) for tasks like networking, data manipulation, GUI development, and more.
Portability:
- Java applications are portable across platforms as long as the JVM is present.

Applications of Java:

Web Development:
- Java is used in server-side development with frameworks like Spring, Hibernate, and Struts.
Mobile Development:
- Java is the primary language for Android app development.
Enterprise Applications:
- Java is popular in building large-scale enterprise applications (e.g., banking systems) using tools like JEE (Java Enterprise Edition).
Desktop Applications:
- Java can build cross-platform desktop applications with tools like JavaFX and Swing.
Embedded Systems:
- Java is used in embedded devices, such as smart cards and IoT devices.
Game Development:
- While not as common as C++, Java is used in game development with libraries like LWJGL.

Java Development Workflow:

Write the Code: Developers write Java code in files with a .java extension.
Compile the Code: The Java Compiler (javac) converts .java files into bytecode, stored in .class files.
Execute the Code: The JVM interprets and runs the bytecode.

Example Code:
Here’s a simple "Hello, World!" program in Java:

Advantages:

Cross-platform compatibility.
Strong security features.
Extensive community support.
Backed by Oracle with long-term updates.

Disadvantages:

Slower than natively compiled languages like C++.
Verbose syntax compared to modern languages like Python.

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