Features of Java Programming Language

Features of Java

• A high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language designed to have few implementation dependencies.
• Allows programmers to write once, run anywhere (WORA) due to compiled Java code being able to run on all platforms that support Java without recompilation.
• Compiled to bytecode that can run on any Java virtual machine (JVM) regardless of the underlying computer architecture.

Comparison to Other Languages

• Syntax similar to C and C++, but with fewer low-level facilities.
• Provides dynamic capabilities like reflection and runtime code modification, typically not available in traditional compiled languages.

Popularity and History

• Gained popularity shortly after its release in 1995 and remained popular since then.
• Ranked as the third most popular programming language in 2022 according to GitHub.
• Gradual decline in use in recent years, with other languages using JVM gaining popularity.

Development and Licensing

• Originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems.
• Released in May 1995 as a core component of Sun's Java platform.
• Most Java technologies were relicensed under the GPL-2.0-only license as of May 2007.
• Oracle offers its own HotSpot Java Virtual Machine, but the official reference implementation is the OpenJDK JVM, which is free and open-source.

Java Versions

• As of March 2024, Java 22 is the latest version.
• Java 8, 11, 17, and 21 are previous LTS versions still officially supported.

Origins of Java

• Initiated by James Gosling, Mike Sheridan, and Patrick Naughton in June 1991.
• Originally designed for interactive television, but was too advanced for the digital cable television industry at the time.
• Initially called Oak, later renamed to Green, and finally to Java, named after Java coffee.