About Java, History and Byte Code in Programming: Introduction to JAVA

Introduction 

Java is a popular third-generation language of programming, which can be used to perform any of the thousands of things that a computer software can do. Java has become the language of choice for internet and internet applications. Java plays an important role for the proper functioning of many software-based devices attached to a network.

In this article you’ll be learn about java language, how it works with the code and generate its byte code, history of the language.

About Java   

Java is both a programming language and a platform. Like any other programming language, you can use Java to write or create various types of computer applications. The word platform is generally used to refer some combination of hardware and software e.g. operating system, Windows Vista on Intel Pentium V or windows NT on DEC Alphas or System 8.5 power macs etc. 

The Java platform is a new software platform different from many other platforms; it is designed to deliver and run highly interactive, dynamic and secure applications on networked computer systems.

History

Originally, Java started as an elite project (code named Green) to find a way of allowing different electronic devices such as TV-Top boxes and controllers to use a common language. This language for electronic device was originally named Oak but failed to find a niche despite its optional. In the following lines, the history of Java can be found out on the Java timeline: 

• 1991: James Gosling Develops Oak (later named Java), language for programming intelligent consumer electronic devices.
• 1995: Java formally announced incorporated in to Netscape web browser.
• 1996: Java Development Kit (jdk) 1.0 ships. Java Beans component architecture Corel Office for Java Preview. Sun announces Java station Network computer. Sun announces 100% pure java initiative.
• 1998: Sun introduces Community Source open licensing. Sun produce JDK 1.2 for Linux.
• 2006: The Net Beans IDE 5.0 is released. Sun open-sourced Java EE components as the Glassfish Project to java.net. Java SE and ME initial components are released as open source.

Byte code

Do you know the computer programs are very closely tied to the specific hardware and operating system they run on? For example, a Windows program will not be able to run on a computer that only runs DOS; a Mac application can’t run on a UNIX workstation, and so on. To take with diversity of platforms, major commercial application like MS-Word or Netscape Navigator have to be written almost independently for all platforms they run on.

But for the application development with Java, this is not the case. For, these applications are platform-independent i.e. they are not affected with changing platforms. Java solves the problem of platform-independence by using byte code. In order to understand the byte code, you must be clear about compilation process first.

Compilation Process in JAVA