WHY SHOULD YOU LEARN JAVA?

Introduction

Java is a high-level, object-oriented programming language widely used for developing various applications, such as web, mobile, desktop, and enterprise applications. James Gosling introduced it at Sun Microsystems in 1995, and Oracle Corporation later acquired it.

Java is renowned for its platform independence, which allows Java code to execute without recompilation on any platform that sustains the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Java programmes can be used on various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS because the JVM interprets Java bytecode, a platform-independent format of Java code.

Key Features

Java is a simple language that does not deal with complex features like pointers, overloading, inheritance, and explicit memory allocation.

Java is a robust and dependable language. As a result of its design, which prioritizes error detection as early as possible, the Java compiler can identify errors that are difficult for other programming languages to spot.

Java is an object-oriented programming language represents data and performs operations using objects. Objects in Java have properties (attributes) and methods (behaviour), which can be accessed and modified using Java code.

One of the many reasons Java is a popular choice for developing web applications is its security features, such as its sandbox environment that prevents code from accessing resources outside of its defined area and robust exception handling that aids in error and crash prevention.

Due to its scalability and high performance, Java is also widely used to develop enterprise applications, such as web and mobile. Java’s enterprise features include its multithreading support, allowing applications to handle multiple concurrent requests.

One significant edge of designing software with Java is its portability. It is effortless to transfer Java programme code created on a notebook computer to a mobile device. “Write once, run anywhere” was the main objective when the language was created in 1991 by James Gosling of Sun Microsystems, which was later acquired by Oracle.

It’s also crucial to realize how much Java differs from JavaScript. Contrary to Java code, which must be compiled, Javascript does not. Java can be run anywhere, whereas Javascript can only be run in web browsers.

Data Structures

Data structures are specialized formats or structures used to organize, store and manage data in a computer program or application. Java provides a variety of built-in data structures that are developed to efficiently store and manipulate data. Here are some of the typically used data structures in Java:

• Arrays — Array is a collection of similar data types. It is a fixed-size structure that stores a contiguous block of elements of the same kind.

// Declare an array of integers
int[] arr = new int[30];

// Access an element in the array
int value = arr[0];

// Set the value of an element in the array
arr[0] = 7;

• ArrayList — An ArrayList is a resizable array allowing dynamically adding or removing of elements. It is a part of the Java Collections framework and implements the List interface.

// Declare an ArrayList of strings
ArrayList<String> list = new ArrayList<>();

// Add an element to the list
list.add("hello world");

// Get an element from the list
String str = list.get(0);

// Remove an element from the list
list.remove(0);

• LinkedList — A LinkedList is a collection of nodes containing a reference to the subsequent node in the sequence. It is a part of the Java Collections framework and implements the List interface.

// Declare a LinkedList of integers
LinkedList<Integer> list = new LinkedList<>();

// Add an element to the list
list.add(7);

// Get an element from the list
int val = list.get(0);

// Remove an element from the list
list.remove(0);

• HashMap — It is a collection of key-value pairs where each key is special. It allows retrieving, updating and deleting values associated with a specific key in constant time.

// Declare a HashMap with string keys and integer values
HashMap<String, Integer> map = new HashMap<>();

// Add a key-value pair to the map
map.put("one", 1);

// Get the value associated with a key
int val = map.get("one");

// Remove a key-value pair from the map
map.remove("one");

• HashSet — A HashSet is a collection of unique elements where replications are not permitted. It is a part of the Java Collections framework and implements the Set interface.

// Declare a HashSet of integers
HashSet<Integer> set = new HashSet<>();

// Add an element to the set
set.add(7);

// Check if an element is in the set
boolean contains = set.contains(7);

// Remove an element from the set
set.remove(7);

• PriorityQueue — A PriorityQueue is a collection of elements, each associated with a priority. Elements are stored in a queue based on their priority, and the element with the highest priority is dequeued first.

// Declare a PriorityQueue of integers
PriorityQueue<Integer> queue = new PriorityQueue<>();

// Add an element to the queue
queue.offer(7);

// Get the element with the highest priority
int val = queue.poll();

// Remove an element from the queue
queue.remove(7);

• Stack — A Stack is a group of elements that follow the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle. It allows adding elements at the top and removing elements from the top.

// Declare a Stack of integers
Stack<Integer> stack = new Stack<>();

// Add an element to the stack
stack.push(7);

// Get the element at the top of the stack
int val = stack.peek();

// Terminate an element from the top of the stack
stack.pop();

These are just some examples of data structures in Java, and there are many more to explore depending on your specific needs.

Is it future-proof?

Java has a bright future and is considered to be a future-proof technology. Its continued evolution and development demonstrate that it is a technology that is here to stay. One reason Java is future-proof is because of its strong community and ecosystem. Java has an extensive and active community of developers who contribute to its development and upkeep, as well as develop and maintain various libraries, frameworks, and tools that make it more comfortable to create Java applications. Through the efforts of this community, Java is kept current with the newest trends in technology.

Java’s aid for cutting-edge technologies like cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) also contributes to the future-proofing of the language. Java, for instance, supports cloud computing through frameworks like Spring Cloud. It supports the Internet of Things through the Eclipse IoT project, proving that it is a flexible technology that can keep up with rising trends and technologies.

Latest technological trends in Java

DevOps

DevOps is a software development methodology highlighting collaboration and communication between development and operations teams. DevOps aims to accelerate software releases while also streamlining the software development lifecycle. DevOps practices are language-agnostic, which means they can be applied to any programming language, including Java. Due to its platform independence, robust tool ecosystem, and widespread use in business environments, Java is actually a popular language for DevOps.

GitHub

GitHub is a famous platform for hosting and collaborating on Java projects. Java developers use GitHub to share their code, collaborate with other developers, and contribute to open-source Java projects. Even though Git isn’t solely a Java technology, it’s worth mentioning if one endorses lifelong learning in software development.

Spring Framework

Spring Framework is a popular open-source, lightweight, easy-to-deploy Java technology that any decent Java developer should already have in their bag. It provides a range of features and tools to simplify the development of complex applications, including dependency injection, inversion of control, and aspect-oriented programming.

Machine Learning

Java is a popular programming language for building machine-learning applications. Several libraries and frameworks make it easy to start with machine learning in Java, like Weka, Smile, Tensorflow, Deeplearning4j, and JavaML.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a popular approach to computing that involves using remote servers to store, manage, and process data. Java is a popular programming language for building cloud-based applications. Several tools and frameworks make developing and deploying Java applications in the cloud easy. To name a few, Spring Cloud, GCP, AWS, and Microsoft Azure.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI has been a rapidly growing field trending for the past decade. Additionally, because of Java’s low maintenance requirements, high portability, and transparency, it is a prevalent choice among businesses that want optimal outcomes.

Mobile/Android Development

For many years, Java has been a cornerstone of Android development. The innovation of cross-platform mobile applications using frameworks such as React Native also uses Java.

Conclusion

Java is a widespread programming language that has stood the ordeal of time due to its reliability, platform independence, and robustness. It is widely utilized in various industries, such as finance, healthcare, and gaming, among others. Its object-oriented programming paradigm makes it easy to write, maintain, and extend code, and its vast standard library and community support offer a wealth of resources for developers. The fact that it is still evolving and being developed suggests that it is a valuable tool for developers for the foreseeable future. The new features, releases and trends are set to promote and expand the adoption of Java globally, creating new possibilities for Java specialists. Learning Java is an excellent investment in your future as a developer, as it is a widely used language with many job opportunities and a large community of support.