Java as a Programming Platform

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In the first edition of this book, we had this to write about Java:

"As a computer language, Java's hype is overdone: Java is certainly a good programming language. There is no doubt that it is one of the better languages available to serious programmers. We think it could potentially have been a great programming language, but it is probably too late for that. Once a language is out in the field, the ugly reality of compatibility with existing code sets in."

Our editor got a lot of flack for this paragraph from someone very high up at Sun who shall remain unnamed. But, in hindsight, our prognosis seems accurate. Java has a lot of nice language features we examine them in detail later in this chapter. It has its share of warts, and newer additions to the language are not as elegant as the original ones because of the ugly reality of compatibility.

But, as we already said in the first edition, Java was never just a language. There are lots of programming languages out there, and few of them make much of a splash. Java is a whole platform, with a huge library, containing lots of reusable code, and an execution environment that provides services such as security, portability across operating systems, and automatic garbage collection.

As a programmer, you will want a language with a pleasant syntax and comprehensible semantics (i.e., not C++). Java fits the bill, as do dozens of other fine languages. Some languages give you portability, garbage collection, and the like, but they don't have much of a library, forcing you to roll your own if you want fancy graphics or networking or database access. Well, Java has everything a good language, a high-quality execution environment, and a vast library. That combination is what makes Java an irresistible proposition to so many programmers.

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