What is the Future of Java?

Java. The name itself conjures images of a robust and powerful programming language. For decades, it’s been a dominant force behind countless applications, websites, and even mobile games. But with new languages popping up all the time, is Java on the verge of becoming yesterday’s news?

This question keeps many developers up at night.  Java has been around for a long time, and the tech world is known for its rapid evolution.  Will Java continue to be a relevant choice, or will it be swept away by the tide of innovation?

The truth is, that the future of Java is surprisingly bright. In this article, we’ll explore the reasons behind its enduring strength, the challenges it faces, and why Java might surprise us all with its staying power.

What is Java?

Java is a robust and object-oriented programming language. Since its inception in 1991, this technology has got 21 versions like JDK Beta, Java SE 7, and others. The latest one – Java SE 21 – was released on 19 September 2023.

Java has long-term support (LTS). It means that a software edition can be maintained for several months or years.

Such renowned companies like Spotify and Twitter still rely on this programming language although they have plenty of alternatives at their fingertips. So, the future of Java remains promising.

Who Invented Java?

Mike Sheridan, together with James Gosling and Patrick Naughton, created Java in June 1991. Their key goal was to invent a simple, secure, and general-purpose programming language that could be run on various platforms, like mobile and desktop.

Java was originally developed for interactive television. But its digital cables didn’t support this state-of-the-art technology. In 1996, Sun Microsystems (which was acquired by Oracle in 2009) officially released Java 1.0. Its core principle was Write Once, Code Everywhere (WORA).

Since then, Sun Microsystems launched new versions of Java (Java EE, Java SE, Java ME, and others) with several configurations created for various platform types.

The Main Features of Java

Whether you wonder why Java was popular for a long time, read a handy list of these features:

Simplicity

Java has simple syntax, which is based on C++. Also, this programming language is easy to code and understand.

Object-Oriented

This feature means that while a developer codes with Java he or she can organize software as a combination of several objects like classes.

Platform Independent

Java compiler generates a unique bytecode that is delivered to the Java virtual machine, which resides in the random-access memory. This way, a code written in Java can run on any operating system (Linux, Microsoft Windows, etc.).

Multi-Threaded

It’s one of the strongest features of Java. It means developers can create multi-threaded programs (2 or more) that can work concurrently. There 2 main mechanisms of implementing a thread in Java – extending a thread class and introducing the running interface.

Architecture-Neutral

Java has neutral architecture because a compiler creates a bytecode that doesn’t interact with a particular computer architecture.

Robust

Java has a strong type-checking mechanism that underlines time error and runtime checking processes. During a coding process, grammatical mistakes are highlighted, which reduces the number of errors in the final code.

Distributed

Java is a distributed programming language meaning that it can be run on several computer networks.

What Are Java Editions?

Java editions are a set of programs that enable developers to code and execute software written in Java. There are several types of them:

• Java Standard Edition (J2 Platform and Standard Edition or J2SE) is a computing platform used to create and deploy portable code in server and desktop environments.
• Java Micro Edition is a computing platform that implements portable code in mobile devices. It’s also known as Java 2 Platform Micro Edition (J2ME).
• Java Enterprise Edition is a set of instructions used in Java SE 8 – a feature release for enhancing Java’s functionality. The applications coded with the aforementioned platform are executed on reference time (it can be performed in transactions and other app functionalities).

The New Updates in Java

Currently , Java’s evolution persists with ongoing updates, showcasing the language’s dedication to remaining pertinent amid technological shifts. Here’s an overview of recent advancements:

1.Java SE 20: Released on March 21st, 2023, Java SE 20 brought several enhancements and new features to the language. Some notable additions include:

• Enhanced performance: Java SE 20 introduced optimizations aimed at improving the overall performance and efficiency of Java applications.
• Updated APIs: This release included updates to existing APIs and introduced new ones to facilitate smoother development workflows and address emerging use cases.
• Security enhancements: Java SE 20 continued to prioritize security, with enhancements aimed at strengthening the platform’s defenses against potential vulnerabilities.
• Language improvements: Several language enhancements were introduced to enhance developer productivity and code readability.

 2.Java SE 21: Following up on the momentum of Java SE 20, Java SE 21 was released on September 19th, 2023, further advancing the capabilities of the Java platform. While specific details of the features introduced in Java SE 21 are not yet finalized, the release likely includes additional performance optimizations, updated APIs, and possibly new language features to empower developers and address evolving industry needs.

The Key Benefits of Java

Java’s versatility extends beyond its core language features, with frameworks like Quarkus amplifying its capabilities in modern application development .If you are in doubt about whether you need to code your app in Java, have a look at these advantages:

Large Development Community

Java is the 5th popular programming language after Python, SQL, HTML, and JavaScript. Over 30% of coders use it in their work. So whether you need to hire Java developers, it will be easy for you to find them for your app projects.

Simple Learning Curve

Java offers a relatively gentle learning curve compared to other languages such as C++ and C. Its syntax is intuitive and easy to grasp, making it accessible to beginners and seasoned developers alike. Moreover, Java’s comprehensive documentation and plethora of online tutorials further facilitate the learning process by enabling developers to quickly get up to speed and start building applications efficiently.

Excellent Portability

The Java code is compiled into a bytecode that can be performed on several platforms like Windows, macOS, Solaris, etc. There are 3 types of portability provided by Java:

1. OS/GUI is a function that converses with operating system and graphic user interfaces.
2. Source code portability allows Java to produce identical results despite the operating system, Java compiler, etc.
3. CPU architecture portability is the process of producing an object code (a bytecode).

Robustness and Reliability

Java is renowned for its robustness and reliability due to its strong memory management, garbage collection, and exception handling features. This ensures that Java applications are less likely to crash or experience memory leaks, making them suitable for building mission-critical systems.

Extensive Standard Library

Java comes with a vast standard library that provides ready-to-use components for various tasks such as networking, I/O operations, database connectivity, and more. This allows developers to streamline their development process by leveraging existing functionalities rather than reinventing the wheel.

Security Features

Security is a top priority in Java development. Java’s built-in security features, such as the Security Manager, sandboxing, and bytecode verification, help prevent unauthorized access, protect against malicious code, and ensure the integrity of Java applications.

Strong Industry Support

Java enjoys strong support from major technology companies, enterprises, and the open-source community. This widespread adoption ensures the availability of a wealth of resources, tools, Java frameworks, and third-party libraries to facilitate Java development and address various application requirements.

Scalability

Java’s scalability makes it suitable for building applications that can grow alongside the needs of the business. Whether it’s a small desktop application or a large-scale enterprise system, Java provides the flexibility to accommodate expanding user bases, increased data volumes, and evolving business processes.

Technologies That May Replace Java

Among numerous programming languages available on the market, Java remains highly popular. Up to 30.55% of developers implement it in the deployment process across the world. Whether you’re curious to find out what technologies are gaining traction now and if they can replace Java, read about them below:

Python

Python is the most in-demand programming language in the world. Nearly 49.28% of developers code in it. The popularity of Python is explained by its excellent library support for building web applications. Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and other famous apps were coded with the aforementioned programming language.

Python is mainly used in the data science field to conduct sentiment analysis and prediction algorithms in the gaming and customer service areas. Actually, Java can’t be implemented in these fields, and therefore, Python won’t replace Java in the future.

Kotlin

Kolin is an open-source programming language officially released in 2016. In 2019, Google announced it was one of the most preferred languages for Android development. For Kotlin, it can be hard to take over Java in future because it’s a relatively young technology with a small development community.

Scala

Scala is a general-purpose technology that provides support for functional and object-oriented programming. It was created by Martin Odersky, a German computer scientist, in the early 2000s. Scala has such advantages as simple syntax and excellent compatibility with the Java virtual machine. But it’s more difficult to learn than Java.

Swift

Swift is an open-source programming language created by Apple.Inc. It was publicly released in 2014. Swift is only used to write code for iOS, MacOS, tvOS, and watchOS platforms. Thus, it’s impossible to state whether this technology will take over Java.

PHP

PHP is an open-source scripting language. It was developed by a Canadian–Danish programmer – Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994. PHP is mainly used in web development. Among its benefits, there are simple web app maintenance, performance, and integration. And thanks to these qualities, PHP is a good choice for web app development.

Like Java, it’s an open-source and object-oriented programming language. But it can’t replace Java as PHP is mainly implemented in small projects.

The Main Reasons Why Java Won’t Disappear in the Future

Java has a Java virtual machine, which is used by other technologies such as Kotlin and Scala. Moreover, developers can write the same code that will function on various OS (operating systems) like Linux and Microsoft Windows. Among other reasons why Java won’t fade away soon, we can state the following:

• It’s an excellent choice for creating streaming apps thanks to its reactive function.
• Java is still used in web, mobile development, big data, IoT (Internet of Things), blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
• It’s possible to develop FaaS (function as a service) and serverless apps with robust functionality.
• Java keeps pace with the progress and updates its versions faster than several years ago. For instance, Java 15 was released just 6 months after Java 14. In the previous versions, like Java 8-13, it took up to 5-6 years.
• AirBnb, Uber, Netflix, and other tech giants are still implementing Java in their development processes.

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In our article, you found out the main features of Java, its benefits, new updates, and what are the perspectives of Java in future. Also, we compared it with other state-of-the-art technologies like Python, Kotlin, Scala, Swift, and PHP.

Thanks to a huge development community, easy learning curve, outstanding portability, and usage in large projects of Pinterest, Google, Uber, and others, Java will exist in the future.

So if you bear in mind an excellent idea about creating a top-notch product, reach out to our Java development company, and scale your business to new heights with us!