Java is one of the world’s most popular programming languages. Widely used in enterprise software development, Java’s strengths lie in its combination of performance and portability, as well as its large, robust library of built-in features, which allow developers to create complex applications entirely within the language. Java was developed in the early 1990s by a team from Sun Microsystems led by James Gosling. Initially called Oak (after a tree outside Gosling’s office), the new language was intended to be a development environment for interactive TV, but pivoted to the emerging World Wide Web after its public release in 1995. Since then, Java has expanded into almost every area of software development. It is the default programming language for Android mobile devices, the Hadoop large-scale data processing system, and Minecraft. Java is one of the most well-known object-oriented programming languages.
This chapter surveys the core elements of Java programming, assuming some familiarity with programming in any language. If you already have Java experience, it will be a refresher on important points. If your experience is with Python, JavaScript, or other languages, this chapter will help you understand how Java does things differently.
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