Java Definition

The Java definition is simple: It’s a high-level programming language used to develop software programs. Java is one of the top programming languages used in developing web, desktop, and utility applications at the moment. It was originally developed by Sun Microsystems in 1991 and released under the name “Oak” programming language.

Java has been developed to create a small, portable, less dependant, and efficient programming language for consumer electronic appliances such as televisions, videocassette recorders, ovens, and toasters. It has now evolved to become a class-based, object-oriented programming language with few implementation dependencies.

Java-based software applications are compatible with all sorts of devices including computers, smartphones, and other computing devices. Java uses a virtual machine known as java virtual machine(JVM) which gives java the ability to function on multiple platforms such as windows, Mac, and Linux. When you execute a java source code or a program, the java compiler compiles it to byte code. The byte code is then converted to a machine language by the JVM to make it run on different platforms.

The features of Java

Now that you know the Java definition, here are some of the main features of this programming language.

• Simple – The number of programming constructs in Java is small compared to most other programming languages. Java does not use pointers or requires removing objects to free memory like in older programming languages.
• Object-oriented – Java lets you map your data and entities to objects and lets you use object-oriented concepts such as abstraction, inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism.
• Distributed – Java provides extensive support for TCP and IP networking capabilities and it also contains library routines for HTTP and FTP protocols.
• Interpreted – Java can easily run on different platforms as it can be compiled to bytecode and then converted to machine languages using JVM.
• Robust – Java includes features such as array bounds checking, exception handling, and bytecode verification.