HexLab

Lesson 1

What is Java?

A beginner-friendly introduction to Java, its history, and its practical uses.

Lesson content

What is Java?

What makes Java useful

The father of Java is James Gosling. Java is a general-purpose, class-based, object-oriented programming language and a computing platform for application development.

  • Java is fast, secure, and reliable.
  • It was launched by Sun Microsystems and later bought by Oracle.
  • It follows WORA: Write Once, Run Anywhere.
The father of Java is James Gosling.
Java is a general-purpose, class-based, object-oriented programming language.
It is a computing platform for application development.
Java is fast, secure, and reliable.
It was first launched by Sun Microsystems and later acquired by Oracle.
Java follows WORA: Write Once, Run Anywhere.

Where Java is used

Java in real-world development

Desktop application

Java offers APIs like Swing, AWT, and JavaFX for building desktop GUIs with buttons, lists, menus, and other ready-made UI elements.

Mobile application

Java remains widely used for Android development and works well alongside Kotlin in cross-platform mobile ecosystems.

Games

Java is used in internet and Android games because it supports strong 3D engines and solid application structure.

Web application

Servlets, JSP, Spring, and Hibernate make Java a strong choice for dynamic web applications.

Enterprise software development

Java is common in banking, insurance, and retail because of its secure, dependable processing model.

Big data technologies

Java powers many big data tools, including Hadoop and HDFS-based systems for handling large-scale data applications.

Embedded systems

Java is used in smart cards, utilities, and IoT embedded systems thanks to its portability and broad feature set.