According to a survey conducted, nearly 63% programmers mentioned that they will likely continue to work with Java along with coding with Python, SQL and HTML/CSS. In addition, the giants in the corporate world like Microsoft, Amazon and Google still use the java programming language in their software processes. Here, we will discuss that how will the future look like for Java and what will it stay alive in the world of programming.
Who invented Java?
James Gosling and Patrick Naughton along with Mike Sheridan gelled together and created Java in June 1991. They purpose behind their initiative was to develop a simple, secure, and general-purpose programming language that could operate on various platforms like mobile and desktop.
The creators of this language originally planned it for interactive television but at the time digital cables could not support this state-of-the-art technology. Sun Microsystems in 1996 (It was acquired by Oracle in 2009) released the first official version of Java called Java 1.0. The main principle that followed its release was Write Once, Code Everywhere. Since then, Sun Microsystems launched new versions of Java (Java EE, Java SE, Java ME, and others) with several configurations created for various platform types.
What are the different Editions of Java?
The set of programs that enable developers in Java to code and execute the software written in Java are termed as the Java Editions. There exist multiple types of Java Editions:
Java Standard Edition (J2 Platform and Standard Edition or J2SE) A computing platform which is used to create and deploy portable code in server and desktop environments.
Java Micro Edition A computing platform that can implement portable code in mobile devices. It is also known as Java 2 Platform Micro Edition (J2ME).
Java Enterprise Edition It is a set of instructions used in Java SE 8 – it is a feature that is released for enhancing Java’s functionality. The applications coded with the platform are implemented on mention time (it can be performed in transactions and other functionalities for apps).
New updates in Java
In the year 2020, Oracle which now owns Java, launched two versions of Java:
Update Java 14 was released in March of 2020. The new features in this update include records that replace classes, switch expressions, pattern matching and several others.
Update Java 15 or JDK 15 has been available since September 2020. The new update includes the core improvements in hidden classes, text blocks and several more.
Garbage Collection is another latest update from Java – It is a process of removing the objects that are not used in the automatic management system. Which technologies can replace java in the future.
Among several programming languages accessible on the market, Java remains highly popular. Up to 54% of developers implement it in the deployment process across the world. Let us discuss some technologies that can replace Java in the foreseeable future.
Python
Python is the most in-demand programming language in the world. Nearly 25.95% of developer’s code in it. The popularity of Python is explained by its excellent library support for building web applications. The usage of Python is mainly in the data science field to conduct sentiment analysis and prediction algorithms in different areas. Java cannot be implemented in these fields, and therefore, Python will not replace it in the future.
Kotlin
In 2019, Google announced Kotlin one of the most preferred languages for Android development. For Kotlin, it can be hard to take over Java soon because it is a relatively young technology with a small development community.
Swift
Swift is an open-source programming language created by Apple. It was publicly released in 2014. Swift is only used to write code for iOS, MacOS, tvOS, and watchOS platforms. Thus, it is impossible to state whether this technology will take over Java.
PHP
PHP is an open-source scripting language. It was developed in 1994. PHP is mainly used in web development.
Like Java, it is an open source and object-oriented programming language. But it cannot replace Java as PHP is mainly implemented in small projects.
Why Java will not perish
Java is an excellent choice for generating streaming apps thanks to its reactive function.
Java is used, still in mobile development, big data, web, IoT, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
It is possible with Java to create FaaS (function as a service) and serverless apps with a strong functionality.
AirBnb, Uber, Netflix, and other tech giants are still implementing Java in their development processes.