Why is Java so popular amongst the industry professionals?

Java has been around for a very long time. Sun microsystems introduced Java to the public in 1995 and presently Oracle is managing Java. Java is considered to be the most prominent language for creating robust web applications and technical platforms. Over the years, Java has evolved as a language of facts and practical knowledge. Due to the Java Programming Language popularity various Fortune, 500 organizations like: LinkedIn, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple rely upon Java. This write-up will accentuate the reasons for why is Java Programming Language so popular?

Java has remained invincible, despite the emergence of numerous programming languages. Reportedly, Java got ranked at the top tier in the list of most popular programming languages of 2019 by Indeed. Many developers claim Java to be their most preferred programming language as it is very easy to use, compile, write and debug in Java. Moreover, Java enable developers to create reusable code and modular programs. Thus, it creates a career breakthrough for Java developers.

Any programmer will confirm to you that Java is, by far, the best programming language to have ever been created. Who can argue against that fact when almost all Fortune 500 companies give it thumbs up? Java programming is both user-friendly and flexible, thus an obvious go-to programming language for web app developers and program management experts. By flexibility, in this case, we mean that the application developed in its coding system can run consistently on any operating system, regardless of the OS in which it was initially developed. Whether you need a language to help you with numerical computing, mobile computing, or desktop computing, Java has got you covered. There are many programming languages out there but Java beats them all in terms of popularity. There definitely must be a reason why it has gained so much popularity in the recent past, without mentioning how well it has shaken off competition for almost two and a half decades now. Still, the question remains not properly – Why Java is so popular? Let us try to understand it.

One of the biggest reasons why Java is so popular is the platform independence. Programs can run on several different types of computer; as long as the computer has a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed, a Java program can run on it. Most types of computers will be compatible with a JRE including PCs running on Windows, Macintosh computers, Unix or Linux computers, and large mainframe computers, as well as mobile phones. Since it has been around for so long, some of the biggest organisations in the world are built using the language. Many banks, retailers, insurance companies, utilities, and manufacturers all use Java. Steve Zara, a programmer for more than 40 years, describes how there is no sign of Java declining in use. Instead, it is an evolving language which almost uniquely combines stability with innovation. Highlighting the longevity of the language, Zara states that the code you may have written 15 years ago will run on the most up-to-date JVMs and gain the speed advantage of the latest profiling, native code translating, and memory management.

Java is fundamentally object-oriented. The code is so robust because Java objects contain no references to data external to themselves. The language is considered to be very simple; however, it comes with a library of classes that offer commonly used utility functions that most Java programs can’t work without. Java API, the class library, is as much a part of Java as the language itself. In actuality, the genuine challenge of learning how to use Java isn’t learning the language, but learning the API. The language consists of 50 keywords, but the Java API has thousands of classes with tens of thousands of methods you can use in your programs. Despite this, developers aren’t expected to learn all of the Java API, and the majority of them are only experienced and fluent with a small portion of it.

Learning Java

Java is still a relevant programming language that shows no sign of declining in popularity and, for that reason, is worth learning. Most developers pick it up as their first programming language because it’s reasonably easy to learn. Since the language has an English-like syntax with minimum special characters, Java could be learned in a short time span and used to build suitable applications. Java is part of a family of languages that are heavily influenced by C++ (as well as C#), therefore learning Java offers vast benefits when learning these other two languages.

Many Java experts try to explain the growing popularity of Java amongst the beginners using the following points.

Its codes are easy to understand and troubleshoot

Part of why Java has grown tremendously over the years is because of being object-oriented. Simply put, an object-oriented coding language makes software design simpler by breaking the execution process down to small, easy-to-process chunks. Complex coding problems that are associated with C and C++, among other languages, are hard to encounter when programming in Java. On top of that, object-oriented languages such as Java provide programmers with greater modularity and an easy to understand pragmatic approach.

JRE makes Java independent

JRE- Java Runtime Environment- is the reason why Java can run consistently across platforms. All a programmer needs to do is install JRE to a computer and all of his Java programs will be good to go, where they were developed at notwithstanding. On top of running smoothly on computers- Macs, Linux, or even Windows, JRE is also compatible with mobile phones. That is the independence and flexibility that a programmer needs from a coding language in order to grow his/her career, especially if he/she is a newbie.

It is easy to reuse common codes in Java

Everyone hates duplication and overlapping of roles, and so does Java. That is why this coding language developed a feature known as Java objects that allows a programmer to reuse common codes whenever applicable instead of rewriting the same code over and over again. The common attributes between two objects within a class are shared so that the developer can focus entirely on developing the different, uncommon attributes. This form of code inheritance makes coding simple, fast, and inexpensive.

Java API makes Java versatile

Java API provides programmers with thousands of classes and about 50 keywords to work with. It also allows programmers to use coding methods that run to tens of thousands. That makes Java versatile and accommodative to as many coding ideas a programmer could have. That is not all; Java API isn’t too complex for a newbie to master and all one needs to get started is to learn a portion of it. Once you are able to comfortably work with the utility functions of Java, you can learn everything else on the job.

Java allows you to run a program across servers

When coding for a huge organization that uses a network of computers, the greatest challenge is to sync all computers so that a program runs seamlessly on each of them. With Java’s PATH and CLASSPATH, however, you don’t have to worry about the distribution of a program across multiple servers.

Java programming is adaptable, strong, and stable

Because you can run Java both on computers and mobile devices, it’s true to say that the language’s dialect is universally adaptable. On the other hand, you can run Java both on a large and small scale, meaning that its codes are strong and stable. And as we mentioned, there aren’t any limitations with Java; you can even develop translation software using this language.

Powerful source code editor

Java’s source code editor is the Integrated Development Environment, which does not only enable programmers to write code faster and easier, but that also comes with an automated, in-built debugger feature.

Large Community

Java is backed by a large online community of developers which forms the pillar of this programming language. The community not only eases Java learning at beginner, advanced and expert level but also works diligently to enrich Java functions.

Platform Independent

Java is a platform independent language, which means it can be used to develop end-to-end mobile or desktop applications that run on different servers and operating systems.  Java Programming Language so popular due to its slogan of “write once, run anywhere.”

Free of Cost

As the best things in life are free, Java is definitely one among them. It is a blessing for individual programmers who can freely access Java under the Oracle Binary Code License. Thus, Java is free to use for development and test environments, however, one need to pay small fees if used for commercial purposes.

Some interesting facts about Java

Nothing can be ascertained without accurate facts and figures, so have a glance at some of the significant facts about Java that validates its popularity:

• 89% of PCs in the US run Java.
• There are around 9 million Java developers in the world due to the prolific salary packages that turn out to be around $83, 975.00 (median salary) in numbers.
• Over a spread of 6 billion Java Card-enabled devices are rolled out every year.
• 3 billion mobile phones, 125 million TV sets, and 1 billion computers run Java programming language.
• 100% of Blu-Ray Disc Players work with Java.
• Java gets downloaded 1billion times in a year.
• Java is a go-to programming language for 97% of enterprises which is a lot more than C++ or any other language put together.
• Lastly, Java has consistently gained No.1 position as the best choice of UI programming language by the software developers worldwide.

Major Industries using Java

Since Java dialects are universally adaptable it is used to build applications and platforms for several devices, including computers, laptops, gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, car navigation systems, medical monitoring devices, parking meters, lottery terminals and smartphones. It is also a key language for networking, particularly for data centers that store and transfer Web-based data.

Real-World Java-based Applications

There are a whole bunch of places in which Java is used in the real-world ranging from financial applications to e-commerce websites & scientific applications. Let’s have a comprehensive understanding of Java in the real-world:

Big Data– Various big data technologies like Hadoop, deploy Java in one way or another. Some of the prominent examples of Java-based technologies are Elasticsearch, Apache HBase, and Apache Accumulo.

Banking and Finance Server Applications– Java significantly fosters financial services. Many well-reputed investment banks such as Standard Charted, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup leverage Java for writing server-side applications, data processing projects, front & back office electronic trading system, settlement and confirmation systems, etc.

Scientific Applications and Research Community-Java is a safe, portable & easy to maintain language that comes with high-level concurrency tools, unlike C++ or any other programming language. Thus, Java has become a default choice for scientific applications.

Android- It goes without saying that Java plays a vital role in Android app development as its business logic is written in Java which drive the exchange of information between the database and user interface. It is important to have core knowledge of Java for the development of android applications.

Web Application & e-Commerce Development- Java has given a new outlook to the virtual world. Being highly flexible & secured programming language, Java support thousands of e-Commerce applications today. Java has some inbuilt packages like JSPs, Servlets, and Struts which streamline the coding process of large-scale web applications.

Conclusion

Platform independent nature and portability are the main reasons behind the extensive popularity of Java Programing Language. If you do a quick job search for Java and other languages, you would see that Java would have more jobs than Python, C #, C++, or other programming languages. We are not using JavaScript in this comparison as Java positions mostly also include JavaScript roles. Also, for a job seeker, the vast implementation of Java across different industry domains make it a lucrative programming language to pursue for a long-term career sustenance. Java will stand its ground even in the upcoming years and keep evolving like it has been doing all the while. Learning a versatile language like Java can be highly beneficial for your career. So enroll into our best Java Training in California to grasp the core concepts of Java.