CORE JAVA
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Introduction to Java Programming

Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the world, known for its simplicity, portability, and object-oriented approach. It is widely used for building desktop, web, mobile, and enterprise applications.

  • Java is a general-purpose programming language that is concurrent, class-based, and object-oriented.

  • Developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems in 1991 (now Oracle Corporation).

  • The first public version, Java 1.0, was officially released in 1995.

  • Initially named Oak, then Green, and finally Java.

One Language, Four Editions

Java SE (Standard Edition)

Core features of Java for desktop and server programming.

Java EE (Enterprise Edition)

For large-scale web & enterprise applications.

Java ME (Micro Edition)

For mobile & embedded devices.

Java Card (JCT)

For smart card technology.

Key Features of Java

1. Simple

  • Syntax based on C++, familiar for many programmers.
  • No explicit pointers or operator overloading.
  • Automatic memory management via Garbage Collector.

2. Object-Oriented

Supports all OOP principles:

  1. Abstraction
  2. Encapsulation
  3. Inheritance
  4. Polymorphism

3. Platform Independent

WORA (Write Once, Run Anywhere): Compiled to bytecode for JVM, runs on any OS.

4. Automatic Memory Management

Garbage Collector handles memory deallocation automatically.

5. Multi-threaded

Built-in support for multithreading enables efficient multitasking.

6. Robust

Reliable due to strong typing, exception handling, and automatic memory management.

7. Secure

  • No direct memory access via pointers
  • Untrusted code runs inside JVM sandbox
  • Security Manager & Bytecode Verifier

8. Architecture Neutral

Fixed-size primitive types and architecture-neutral bytecode.

9. Portable

Bytecode runs on any platform with JVM.

10. Distributed

Build distributed applications that access resources across networks.


Next: Environment Setup


🚀 Quick Knowledge Check

Topic: Introduction | Language: Java

Q1. Which feature of Java is described by the phrase 'Write Once, Run Anywhere' (WORA)?
Q2. Which of the following is NOT a feature of Java ?
Q3. Before being officially called Java, which of the following was NOT an early name of the language?
Q4. Who developed Java, and in which year did its development begin?
Q5. Which edition of Java is specifically designed for large-scale web and enterprise applications?