Java Evolves: 11 Ways It’s Meeting Future Challenges
Is Java ancient yet? The kind of programming language used by old timers who prattle on about front panels with blinking lights and the days of floppy disks? Or is it still hip, with all the latest language enhancements for intuitive coding and top-notch performance? Maybe Java is somewhere in between: a mature language, but young at heart.
Close to 30 years ago on May 23, 1995, Java officially entered the world. It began as an enabling technology called “Oak” for a set-top box that Sun Microsystems imagined would soon colonize the American living room. That plan didn’t work out, not at first, anyway. But the language grew into one of the core foundations for modern software, running on everything from tiny sensor chips to large server boxes.
Since then, the idea of Java has changed dramatically. Sun and Oracle have done a remarkable job of grafting on features that keep the language feeling fresh without disturbing much of the core functionality. Maybe Java is just one of those languages that keeps going.
One thing we know for sure is that many of the features living inside the big tent called “Java” are different from what was originally envisioned—often radically so. Programmers are creating code that people in 1995, 2005, or even 2015 wouldn’t recognize, but the old code still runs. That’s a high-quality curation. Oracle, the company that bought Sun in 2010, is now delivering new versions regularly and adding features that keep the Java language relevant.
Is Java ancient yet? The kind of programming language used by old timers who prattle on about front panels with blinking lights and the days of floppy disks? Or is it still hip, with all the latest language enhancements for intuitive coding and top-notch performance? Maybe Java is somewhere in between: a mature language, but young at heart.
Close to 30 years ago on May 23, 1995, Java officially entered the world. It began as an enabling technology called “Oak” for a set-top box that Sun Microsystems imagined would soon colonize the American living room. That plan didn’t work out, not at first, anyway. But the language grew into one of the core foundations for modern software, running on everything from tiny sensor chips to large server boxes.
Since then, the idea of Java has changed dramatically. Sun and Oracle have done a remarkable job of grafting on features that keep the language feeling fresh without disturbing much of the core functionality. Maybe Java is just one of those languages that keeps going.
One thing we know for sure is that many of the features living inside the big tent called “Java” are different from what was originally envisioned—often radically so. Programmers are creating code that people in 1995, 2005, or even 2015 wouldn’t recognize, but the old code still runs. That’s a high-quality curation. Oracle, the company that bought Sun in 2010, is now delivering new versions regularly and adding features that keep the Java language relevant.