Java

Java is a class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is a general-purpose programming language intended to let application developers write once, run anywhere, meaning that compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Java without the need for recompilation. Java applications are typically compiled to bytecode that can run on any Java virtual machine (JVM) regardless of the underlying computer architecture. It was originally developed and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems‘ Java platform. Sun Microsystems has been acquired by Oracle in April 2009.

There are four editions of Java targeting different application environments:

• Java Card for smart-cards.
• Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) – targeting environments with limited resources.
• Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) – targeting workstation environments.
• Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE) – targeting large distributed enterprise or Internet environments.

Java is used widely, particularly by large organizations. Every year more organizations are turning to Java as the language of choice to help modernize their applications. While many smaller companies may opt to start building programs using different languages, as they grow and require more speed and stability, they often switch to Java.