More than twenty years ago, a team of programmers led by James Gosling created Java while working for Sun Microsystems, now Oracle. Why would you use a technology developed in the 1990s in 2017 and beyond?
The general-purpose, open-source programming language Java dominates and is still the most common language used today by some of the biggest brands.
Why? Reliable, Scalable and Less Complex
There are many opinions on why Java is (or isn’t, according to a few) the best programming language. One thing is certain though, after 20 plus years of development, Java dominates program languages and has proven so time and time again. It is both eliable and scalable – two very important considerations when starting any development project. It ‘s also how Oracle can now report the use of Java on more than 3 billion devices, including desktops, mobile phones, point of sale terminals, printers, routers, and many others.
Java is an Object Oriented language which is the technical way of saying it models real world scenarios. The code was designed to be less complex which made it a major factor in the shift from procedural programming, or the use of well-structured steps and procedures to compose a program, to object-oriented programming, or the use of objects that contain data or attributes. Less complex code also makes it easier to learn and a lot of people have jumped on the Java bandwagon.
Most large companies that require big-time scale rely on Java. Google uses it to build mobile apps for Android and it ‘s the primary driver of most ecommerce engines, including those operated by eBay, Amazon and Netflix, to name a few. Java has also been a major contributor to the open source community which means there are a wealth of resources and plenty of fun tools available for Java developers to try. More than 20 years after its introduction, Java 9 was introduced last month with a host of cool new features.
Who Codes with Java?
Both front and back end applications can be built with Java, which makes it an important foundational language for most full stack web developers. Whether they are working on back-end infrastructure such as database integration or user authentication or a front-end application for user interaction, Java can be an important tool for the process, as are others such as C, C++, .NET or Ruby. Each developer (and their employer) will have individual preferences.
Java training can support a career change to a full stack web development position; it can also be a smart building block to a more specialized IT role. This is one of the reasons why Woz U teaches with a modular curriculum. Our students learn with the technology tools of their choice and we ‘re excited to now offer Java as one option. [Read my post here for more information on our modular curriculum.]
We are adding new technologies all the time into our new format so watch for more updates soon.
