Since its introduction in 1995, Java has remained a popularly in-demand programming language. Despite newer languages joining the competition, it is still among the most popular languages available to developers. It is used in cloud applications, app development, and even IoT programming.
We asked the experts to share some of the important features of Java that developers need to know.
“Java is an excellent choice for building web applications. It enables users to create dynamic, scalable, and highly reliable web applications. Java can be used for the rapid development of prototypes and simple applications with minimum effort. It provides a faster framework for developing web apps or back-end systems. This is the main reason why it has gained popularity over time among software developers.” (Lynda Fairly)
“The Java ecosystem is vast and diverse, with APIs for interacting with hardware components and features like J2EE, Web Services, Spring, Hibernate, etc. With the help of these features, it is possible to create large-scale enterprise applications. Java has been a trendy choice among developers for enterprise scalability and flexibility. It enables its users to develop backward-compatible software that can be used on many different platforms.” (Lynda Fairly)
“Java is based on a simple architecture with a consistent codebase. It has been designed to be platform-independent and can be used across any hardware or software component. This makes Java a scalable, robust, and easy-to-use technology. The safest coding practices are followed while writing code in Java, and the risk of errors is minimized. The robust structure of Java also allows it to withstand and quickly recover from any unforeseen circumstances or mistakes that may arise during execution.”
Lynda Fairly, Co-founder Numlooker
“Managing every assignment assigned by your firm requires strong code handling skills. Make sure you know the basics. Always go through the tutorials, lessons, and exercises. When writing code, you should comprehend every line. Never lose configuration and utility snippets as they are vital to you. If you are not skilled at coding, you can take decent Java courses to improve your skills. Coding is a crucial part of becoming a successful Java Developer. Under no circumstances should you take it lightly.” (Edward Mellett)
“To be a skilled Java developer, you must have a solid understanding of OOP (Object Oriented Programming). You will never appreciate the beauty of Java programming unless you understand OOPS. Object-Oriented Programming is object-based programming utilized by all Java developers.” (Edward Mellett)
“You should always be on the lookout for new technology developments and stay up to date with technology news. Create a simple client-server TCP service and use it to learn more. As a Java developer, you should read the source code of many popular and successful frameworks, which requires daily practice. Remember that practical knowledge is more important than theoretical knowledge in any field. You must practice hard to get flawless. Online queries can be asked via Java forms or groups.” (Edward Mellett)
“All software is meant to solve users' and other problems. A skilled Java developer should grasp class loading. You must be well versed in garbage collection and minimization. You should also know when to employ design patterns.”
Edward Mellett, Co-Founder WikiJob.co.uk
“Java is easy because Its coding is simple and clear. It removes complexity by not using tough features of other languages like C and C++, such as:
“Aside from eliminating these problematic ideas, Automatic Garbage Collection eliminates the requirement to remove unreferenced objects directly. It is based on C and C++ and has many of its advantages, but without the drawbacks, complications, and confusion. So, if you know C/C++ well, Java will be comfortable and easy to grasp.” (Chris Taylor)
“It compiles Java source code into bytecode (javac). The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) then executes this portable bytecode.” (Chris Taylor)
“Java's greatest strength is its platform independence, which leads to portability. A platform-independent program can run on any machine in the world without modification. Java uses BYTE coding to gain platform independence. It converts source code to byte code, which is then translated into machine code by another layer of software called JVM (Java Virtual Machine).” (Chris Taylor)
“The SE (Standard Edition) version of Java is portable. Architecture-neutrality provides portability. You can run Java bytecode on any machine that has a compatible JVM. In Java, unlike in C/C++, the size of primitive data types is not machine-dependent. These features make Java programs cross-platform, including Windows, Unix, Solaris, and Mac. Moreover, modifications to operating systems, processors, and system resources do not affect Java apps.” (Chris Taylor)
“Software created on one platform or OS can run on any other platform or OS without recompiling. Writing once and running anywhere (WORA) or writing once and running everywhere (WORE) is the basis. The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) can quickly transform bytecode into machine-specific code. Useful when creating applets or downloading apps from the internet.”
Chris Taylor, Marketing Director Profit Guru
“Although it was originally rolled out in Java 14, one of the more interesting features that developers need to get more familiar with — new and experienced — is foreign memory access.
Foreign memory is anything that falls outside of the localized JVM heap. It’s not meant to handle large segments of memory, and they cannot be part of the garbage collection process. These traits make foreign memory undesirable for most projects.
“The upgrade brought about some welcome changes, however, like the new VarHandle API. With it, you can configure var handles. It also makes memory mapping a lot better to work with. Plus, Java 16 introduced the Foreign Linker API which vastly simplifies working with native libraries.”
Karl Hughes, Founder of Draft.dev
After conducting his fair share of research and gaining relevant experience, Gab put up Page Kits to help others who were in his position grow their e-commerce stores and thrive.