First released in 1995 by Sun Microsystems (later bought up by Oracle), Java is a highly-popular high-level object-oriented programming language. It is primarily used to develop and deliver content online and has been a popular choice with programmers for many years.
What is Java?
Java was designed to have many similarities to C++ but is easier to use and learn. It was one of the first programming languages to fully-embrace object-oriented programming, and because of this it quickly gained a large following.
Today, Java is popular for programming a wide range of solutions, with millions of websites using Java for web applets and applications. Popular websites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and eBay use Java extensively, and Google has adopted Java as the main language for coding Android apps - any developer using Google's Android API for creating apps will be writing in Java.
Recently, Java has also become a highly popular tool for the Internet of Things (IoT) development because it delivers a secure, portable code that can be used anywhere.
Part of this popularity is because Java source code is compiled into bytecode, which can then be run on any server or client computer that has a Java virtual machine installed. This means Java programs are platform independent - they work on many different operating systems including Windows, iOS, and Linux, as well as popular IoT operating systems such as RIOT, Contiki, and FreeRTOS.
In comparison, languages like C++ or Visual Basic compile code into a binary file, which is specific to a platform. This means a program written in C++ for iOS cannot be used as-is on a Windows machine.
Java is Relatively Easy to Learn
Like many popular coding languages, Java is relatively easy to learn simply because there are so many great resources available. There are a very large standard class library and plenty of third-party libraries available. Java is especially easy to learn for anyone with a background in C or C++ because Java syntax is very similar.
Java programmers use Integrated Development Environments (such as Eclipse or Netbeans) to help them code effectively. These IDEs significantly improve the coding experience and provide significant help with debugging, which can be highly valuable for beginners Ââ?? there's nothing worse than coding something, discovering there's an error, and then not being able to find it!
Java is Ideal For Android and IoT Development
Assuming you are interested in either of these technologies, Java could be your ideal programming language. Part of its usefulness in these applications is because it is highly portable, but it has several other advantages as well:
Security - Java has been built with security in mind.
Fantastic Performance - Modern Java is very fast; it is statically-typed and has multi-threading features that allow modern computers (and smartphones) with multiple CPU cores to do more, quicker.
Mature - As a well-established programming language there's a large community supporting it, plenty of resources, and many problems have already been worked through and solved.
Java Job Opportunities
According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, Java is the third most popular programming language overall, with 36.3% of respondents using it (down slightly over the last few years - 42.5% reported using it in 2013). A wide range of different types of developers use it:
30.7% of full-stack developers use Java.
16.8% of front-end developers use Java.
41.6% of back-end developers use Java.
54.2% of mobile developers use Java.
Skills analytics platform Gooroo reports that Java has great job opportunities, with approximately 17,000 jobs advertised each month in the US and an average salary of $100,000. Worldwide, there are almost 30,000 jobs advertised each month and an average salary of $90,000.
How Can You Learn Java with SoloLearn?
SoloLearn offers a comprehensive introduction to Java over 65 lessons and 140 quizzes. Our Java course is our second most popular course, with more than 2.5 million coders already learning Java with SoloLearn. Our learners build their confidence through 6 highly-detailed modules: