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• Java (programming language), an object-oriented high-level programming language
• Java (software platform), software and specifications developed by Sun, acquired by Oracle
• Java virtual machine, an abstract computing machine enabling a computer to run a Java program

See Glossary of Java programming language terms

https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/tags/java/info

Java is a widely-used programming language and computing platform first released by Sun Microsystems in 1995. It was designed with the intention of being platform-independent, robust, secure, and high-performance, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, from web development to enterprise software to mobile app development. The homepage of Java can be found at s://www.oracle.com/java/(https://www.oracle.com/java/), where users can access documentation, tutorials, and resources for learning Java. Additionally, the source code for the Java Development Kit (JDK) is hosted on GitHub at s://github.com/openjdk/jdk(https://github.com/openjdk/jdk), providing transparency and collaboration for the development community.

Java is known for its “write once, run anywhere” (WORA) principle, which means that Java code can be compiled into bytecode that can run on any Java Virtual Machine (JVM), regardless of the underlying operating system or hardware architecture. This makes Java highly portable and platform-independent, allowing developers to write code once and deploy it across different platforms without modification.

One of the key features of Java is its object-oriented programming (OOP) paradigm, which emphasizes the use of objects and classes to model real-world entities and encapsulate data and behavior. Java supports features such as inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation, and abstraction, enabling developers to write modular, reusable, and maintainable code.

Java provides a rich standard library (Java API) that includes classes and interfaces for common programming tasks, such as file I/O, networking, collections, concurrency, and more. This standard library simplifies development by providing pre-built components and utilities that developers can leverage to build robust and efficient applications.

Java's memory management model is based on automatic garbage collection, which automatically deallocates memory for objects that are no longer in use, reducing the risk of memory leaks and improving application stability. Java's garbage collector periodically scans the heap for unreachable objects and frees up memory, allowing developers to focus on writing application logic rather than managing memory manually.

Java's strong type system provides compile-time type checking, which helps catch errors and bugs early in the development process, reducing the likelihood of runtime errors and improving code quality. Java supports primitive types, reference types, generics, and type inference, giving developers flexibility and control over data types in their code.

Java's exception handling mechanism allows developers to gracefully handle errors and exceptional conditions in their code, improving application robustness and reliability. Java supports checked exceptions, which must be declared in the method signature or handled by the calling code, and unchecked exceptions, which do not require explicit handling.

Java's multithreading support allows developers to write concurrent and parallel programs that can perform multiple tasks simultaneously, improving application performance and responsiveness. Java provides built-in support for creating and managing threads, synchronization primitives, and high-level concurrency utilities, making it easier to write scalable and efficient concurrent programs.

Java's modular system, introduced in Java 9, allows developers to organize code into modules with explicit dependencies and boundaries, improving code maintainability, scalability, and security. Java modules encapsulate packages and resources, making it easier to manage dependencies and control access to internal components.

Java's platform security features, such as the Security Manager and access control mechanisms, help protect Java applications from malicious code and unauthorized access to system resources. Java's security architecture is designed to provide a secure execution environment for running untrusted code, such as applets and Java Web Start applications.

Java's extensive tooling ecosystem includes development tools, integrated development environments (IDEs), build systems, testing frameworks, and profiling tools that help developers write, debug, test, and optimize Java code more efficiently. Popular Java IDEs include IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, and NetBeans, while popular build tools include Apache Maven and Gradle.

Java's community-driven development model encourages collaboration, innovation, and contribution from developers around the world. The Java Community Process (JCP) allows developers to propose and review changes to the Java platform and ecosystem through open and transparent processes.

Java's backward compatibility ensures that older Java applications continue to run on newer Java versions without modification, reducing the risk of compatibility issues and ensuring that investments in Java technology remain protected over time. Oracle, the primary steward of Java, provides long-term support (LTS) releases every three years, along with regular updates and security patches.

Java's versatility and scalability make it suitable for a wide range of applications, from small desktop utilities to large-scale enterprise systems. Java is used in various industries and domains, including finance, telecommunications, e-commerce, healthcare, gaming, and more.

In conclusion, Java is a versatile, robust, and widely-used programming language and computing platform that provides developers with the tools and capabilities to build secure, scalable, and high-performance applications. With its platform independence, object-oriented programming model, strong type system, memory management, multithreading support, modular system, security features, extensive tooling ecosystem, and vibrant community, Java remains a leading choice for software development in a wide range of industries and domains. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, Java offers the flexibility and power you need to bring your ideas to life in the digital world.

Fair Use Sources:

• The Java Language Specification Java SE 17 Edition by James Gosling, Bill Joy, Guy Steele, et al, 2021-08-09, Java Language Specification: JSR-392 Java SE 17. (JSR-392 JvLngSpc17 2021)