“Hey, if you are a fresher, there is no need to learn Java. It is outdated!”
“If you want to learn an Object-Oriented Programming Language, instead of Java, go for Python!”
“Java is an old language, why to learn an old language?!”
The above-mentioned myths are remarked for Java when one claims to know about it. Hey, do you have the same misconceptions about Java, being a fresher?
Yes? Then have a look at these myth busters!
Java is a high-level general-purpose programming language. There has been a lot of laxity and hatred towards Java over the years. People tend to claim that Java is an old language, just because the name hasn’t changed in so many years that doesn’t mean that nothing has changed in Java.
Yes, Java is the most used programming language, despite of being ‘old’ and indeed has a heavy presence in the enterprise software.
1. Java is a dead language.
The answer is NO! Though there has been a lot of debates on this, over the past few years but ever since JVM (Java Virtual Machine) was introduced, the speed and performance of Java has become better. Java offers quality libraries, frameworks for anything you would want all over the Internet. It has an exceptionally good ecosystem (after JVM JIT compiler was added), which is currently running very fast and efficiently working as a platform for other languages such as Kotlin or Scala. Java is more than a programming language now; it is a diversified tool.
2. Python will replace Java.
Python is the new trend among the freshers and also in the tech-world mostly because of its user-friendly syntax. But wait! Do you know, that Java is currently more popular than Python in the IT programming trend in terms of job positions and usage statistics. Also, Java highlights the Principle of WORA, Write Once, Read Anywhere i.e., a cross platform ability, whereas Python needs a python compiler to write or run the code. Even if python grows more than Java in future that doesn’t mean Java will go out of business.
3. Java is not relevant to industry anymore.
False! In the finance industry it is the widely used programming language. Goldman Sachs, Standard Chartered, Citigroup and Barclays, every large financial institution in the world uses Java. Today the need of android apps has become never-ending. Many companies develop android apps and do you know which language is being used? Yes! It is Java, although Kotlin is catching up (but once again it’s JVM language).
Despite of these 3 myths, there are many more misconceptions about Java.
Fact: Java can be used both for Web Backend Development and Android App Development!
Lastly it can be concluded that, the tech-world is evolving each day so, no programming language is the best. Every language has its own pros and cons. Also, there is no end of learning new technologies.
If you want to have the taste of every new aspects of the programming world, diversify your knowledge, learn new programming languages as there is always something more to know and more to learn!
Happy Learning!
Top comments (6)
Some valid points, but you've unfortunately misrepresented a few things.
No one thinks this. Most languages don't change their name.
The "hatred" of Java is found in its oft-taught patterns, many of which are considered anti-patterns in most other languages. Java can be used well, but the way it's usually taught (especially in university) is counterintuitive to industry-wide good practice. That's where the hatred comes from.
Also, Oracle isn't exactly a well-loved entity outside its own clique.
Python is not a new trend at all, and the trend is not merely among "freshers". It is considered the pillar of data science and big data, is strongly represented in scientific computing, and is widely used in API development, network programming, and cloud computing. It's also often appreciated for rapid development of user applications.
Python's syntax is one of the things that people like about it initially, but it has many other strengths that are loved by its users, sometimes even more than the syntax. For example, dynamic typing is a powerful and well-appreciated feature, especially once you know how to use it well. The attention to consistency and "Pythonic" behavior is key. Developers also often like the ability to write classes that seamlessly integrate with every operator and built-in function via special methods and a well-documented data model.
And then there's the community, which is often regarded as one of the most diverse and supportive in the indusry.
Python isn't the holy grail (pun intended), but it isn't merely something loved by 'freshers' because it's 'easy'.
Depends on the survey you're looking at. Java is among the top 5 consistently...right next to Python and C++. But its exact position varies.
Python, like Java, works the same on any environment running its interpreter. So this is not an "advantage" to Java. It's like saying pickup trucks have an advantage over SUVs because they can be driven on the highway.
Python is an interpreted language, and it requires an interpreter to be installed on the end-user machine to run.
Java also requires an interpreter (the JVM) to be installed on the end-user machine to run.
We can at least agree here.
Thanks for stretching the discussion and enhancing the points!
A good read! You can also point out how fast Java is as compared to python/javascript which is one of the most important reasons why Java won't be dead. On the other hand python has it's own advantages like readability and strong community (especially in deep learning, ML)
True! Every language has its own pros and cons.
I am glad you liked it! :)
Java is a very far from dead language, and the recent updates with JDK 16 onwards have given new life to it. Java and the JVM, aided and enhanced by Kotlin and Scala, will be around for some time yet.
Python has a large fanbase and is a particularly lovely language to use, and has a long journey to travel yet.
Many people like to say that C# is "Java done right" and, while it is indeed a nice language, I still prefer Java to it.
There are some interesting languages which I want to do more work with in the near future, Python being one of them, the others being Rust, Nim, Scala, and R.
Software Development really is one of the most interesting careers available, and we even have Miss Universe in our ranks!
True, Software Development is indeed a versatile field.