Java was invented by James Gosling in 1995 while he was working at Sun Microsystems. Although Java quickly gained popularity upon its release, it did not start out as the powerful programming language it is today.
The development of what later became Java began at Sun Microsystems in 1991. The project, originally called Oak, was originally designed for interactive television. When Oak was deemed too advanced for the digital cable technology available at the time, Gosling and his team shifted their focus to creating a programming language and renamed the project Java, after a type of coffee from Indonesia. Gosling saw Java as a chance to solve the problems he expected would arise for less portable languages as more devices became networked.
The Java language was developed using a syntax similar to C++, so it was already familiar to programmers when they started using it. With the slogan “write once, run anywhere” at its core, a programmer could write Java code for one platform that would run on any other platform that had a Java interpreter (i.e., a Java virtual machine) installed. With the advent of the Internet and the proliferation of new digital devices in the mid-1990s, developers quickly embraced Java as a truly multi-platform language.
The first publicly available version of Java, Java 1.0, was released in 1996. Within five years, it had 2.5 million developers worldwide. Today, Java runs everything from the Android mobile operating system to enterprise software.
What is the Java language used for?
Java is a highly portable language used across platforms and device types, from smartphones to smart TVs. It is used to create mobile and web applications, enterprise software, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, games, big data, distributed and cloud applications among other types. Here are some real-world examples of applications written in Java.
Mobile applications
Many, if not most, mobile applications are created in Java. Java is the preferred language of mobile app developers because of its stable platform and versatility. Popular mobile apps written in Java include Spotify, Signal, and Cash App.
Web Applications
A large number of web applications are developed using Java. Twitter and LinkedIn are some of the best known.
Enterprise Software
Enterprise software is software designed to serve a large group or organization. It includes software such as invoicing systems and supply chain management programs. Java’s high scalability makes it an attractive language for developers creating enterprise software.
Games
Popular games written in the Java programming language include the original Minecraft and RuneScape.
Internet of Things applications
Internet of Things applications are everywhere: smart TVs, cars, heavy machinery, coworking spaces, etc. Java is used to program many of them. Java is a popular choice for Internet of Things developers because of how easily its code can be ported between platforms.
