Love and hate this language - at the same time (Java in general)

Member Name: SignalHill

Product:	Java in general
Date:	20/11/01 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Powerful, Platform independent, wide support

Disadvantages: Relatively poor IDEs available, can be overcomplex

Java is in its purest essence a free enterprise level programming language based on C++ from a web/network perspective.

There are several highlevel flavours of java:

1. Java - The daddy; used for building applications that can be run not necessarily through a web browser - e.g. you can run a java app from a dos prompt.

2. Javascript - java lite for webbrowsers - this allows you to run limited scripts from the webbrowser itself, including controlling windows, forms, validating input, etc.

3. Java Server Pages - similar to Active Server Pages (.asp files) - these web pages are compiled on the webserver on a need to have basis and are have the advantage of leveraging the power of java with the flexibility of html

4. Java applets - embedded java applications on a web page - slow to run but can provide graphical rich user interfaces and powerful functionality.

As a VB/ASP programmer who needed to pick up java pdq, I will say this; If you know Object Orientated concepts (inheritance, subclass, overriding) then you will find understanding java relatively easy. on the other hand, if this is your first language, prepare to learn LOTS!

One of the main benefits of java is that its pretty much platform independent (you could write a java app on a windows box and run it on a sun box or vice versa) - it's also fast (apart from applets!), multi-threaded (allows efficient multitasking), reasonably secure (although if you get hold of a java application you can decompile it very easily), scalable (important for enterprise wide applications) and of course, industry standard.

With the event of Microsoft .net - supposedly a java killer - there is much that may go on, but one thing is for sure; Java is here to stay.

I personally hope to go back to .net at some point, as having used the beta I prefer the development environment and the ease of development (over java;s - even with jbuilder) - I think java
is very powerful, but can be overcomplex, hence why i love and hate it at the same time. Nevertheless it is recognised as a powerful language that can bring scalable reliable enterprise solutions to businesses who need ulitmate flexibility.

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