By now, you’ve seen plenty of posts from me regarding our need for hard skills in the work force and how our graduates in the United States are just… not filling that skills gap.
One of those skills was Javascript. I should have included it’s very differentiated cousin, Java. Each handle the back end and front end of software development, respectively.
When I first started with Cogent, I’ll be honest… as a baby coder… I had no idea why we focused so much on Java in our bootcamps. I had learned visual basics and C++ in school… which is also why I am not a software developer.
Upon spending more time with Cogent, it became clear. Java is the #1 programming language and development platform in the world. It is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language and it is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. In short… it’s the most popular language because it’s the most versatile and saves the most time.
Java was first released by Sun Microsystems in 1995. There were five primary goals in the creation of the Java language (taken from Wikipedia):
It must be simple, object-oriented, and familiar.
It must be robust and secure.
It must be architecture-neutral and portable.
It must execute with high performance.
It must be interpreted, threaded, and dynamic.
We’re now up to Java SE 18. Java has evolved from those humble beginnings to power a good portion of the digital applications and sites we use, today. In fact, there are many applications and even some websites that will not even function unless you have Java installed!
Java reduces costs and shortens development timeframes. It’s also an instrument to drive innovation. With millions of developers running more than 51 billion Java Virtual Machines worldwide and improving application services, Java continues to be the development platform of choice for enterprises and developers. It does this by providing a reliable platform upon which many services and applications are built.
This is why a 25+ year old (which is actually fairly new compared to SQL, C, BASIC, or COBOL) technology continues to be at the top of the coding world. Kind of like how Facebook or Google buy other applications to improve their service while developing new innovations within (Like Yahoo! Tried to do at the beginning of the century). Other applications can be built upon Java and Java incorporates other “dialects” or languages within it. New, innovative products and digital services designed for the future continue to rely on Java, as well.
Can you download Java for free?
Yes! At both java.com and https://www.oracle.com/javadownload/.
So, what can be build with Java? Why do employers love it? A programmer can build software tools, droid apps, web apps, and scientific applications.
The reason that Java will continue to be popular is because it’s both flexible and useful! Some of the main reasons for Java’s success are:
- Java is a Write Once, Run Anywhere language. It speaks to most machines.
- Java incorporates a ton of safety features
- Java has a very simple memory and storage system while also allowing users to create robust projects through multiple threads
Java is one of the skills we focus on at Cogent University along with Data Analytics. Cogent University is a boot-camp-to-job-placement program specializing in Java Development, Data Analytics, and Cyber Security with over ten years of experience and success in training and placing 650+ candidates in 60 Cohorts.