Java is a high-level, general-purpose, object-oriented language. It is widely used to develop mobile and web applications, desktop applications as well as server-side applications. It is one of the most popular programming languages and is adeptly designed to run on any given stage. The popularity of the Java programming language can be gauged by the fact that over 10 million developers have produced Java applications until now—still counting! Furthermore, it runs on billions of devices and is getting more widespread year on year. But you might wonder what makes Java so in-demand and still popular even after 22 years? We have the answer to that;
It Can be Easily Learned
To start off, Java is easy to learn because it is high-level. This means that unlike other low-level languages, you don’t have to dive deep into the weeds. For instance, Java garbage collection (killing unused objects for memory management) is executed without your involvement. As you progress along the learning curve, its concepts start to make sense, and you can grasp it more quickly. Resultantly, once the basic syntax is understood, you will be comfortable writing small programs.
It is an Object-Oriented Programming Language
What it means is that it supports object-oriented programming concepts like Inheritance, Encapsulation, Abstraction, Data hiding etc. These principles are of utmost importance if you are developing applications in a reusable and modular way. This concept also provides security. On top of that, developing OOP applications is relatively easy since it keeps the system flexible and extensible.
Java is Almost Everywhere!
It has broad platform support such as Windows, Linux, Websites, Mobile phones and whatnot. Most likely, you are surrounded by gadgets around you that are using Java right now. For long, Java has been the principal programming language for Website and Android application along with powerful development tools; NetBeans IDE and Eclipse. Today, Java programming language has impressively made its way into Data Science, IoT, and Machine Learning applications.
It has a Rich API (Application Programming Interface)
Another factor that contributes to the success of Java language is its richness in API. More importantly, it is extremely visible since it comes with Java installation. Java is replete with plenty of methods that can be used directly in the code. Java API offers numerous methods that can cater to every purpose, like connecting to databases, networking, handling input-output, etc. Additionally, Java has several open-source libraries such as Apache POI, Apache Xerxes, Google Guava, Gson, etc.
Java has Robust Community Support
If you ever find yourself stuck in Java programming code, don’t worry! You have strong community support. No matter what question you have, Google can find it for you. If Google can’t, there are various Java forums and communities out there to guide and help you out. This has value, especially if you are a beginner because you’ll definitely encounter some issues. Since there are millions of JavaScript developers, you won’t be frustrated if you need support.
It has Excellent Documentation
Being an open-source programming language, Java is completely free. It prides itself on the quality of being well-documented. It has a comprehensive guide that clarifies all the queries you have when you are coding in Java. Javadocs is a remarkable piece of documentation that outlines a lot of details about Java API. Nowadays, not everyone has time to go through the code to learn a method or class of Java. This is where Javadocs assists by providing references while coding.
Java is Platform Independent
It is a platform-independent language which means that its compiled code can run on any operating system. It is based on the logic of ‘Write once, run anywhere,’ which is enticing enough to attract lots of new developers. The more platforms an application can run on, the greater reach it will have. This compels you to tap into your extraordinary marketing potential. Furthermore, cross-platform applications are easier to manage and maintain.
Conclusion
These are some of the most decisive reasons why Java programming is extremely popular among data science professionals and developers. In a nutshell, you can choose Java as your first programming language with regard to its innumerable benefits. And once you get comfortable in it, you can then move on to learn JavaScript and Python.
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