Java (programming language)

Java language" redirects here. For the natural language from the Indonesian island of Java, see Javanese language.
This article is about a programming language. For the software package downloaded from java.com, see Java SE.
Not to be confused with JavaScript.

James Gosling, Mike Sheridan, and Patrick Naughton initiated the Java language project in June 1991. Java was originally designed for interactive television, but it was too advanced for the digital cable television industry at the time. The language was initially called Oak after an oak tree that stood outside Gosling's office. Later the project went by the name Green and was finally renamed Java, from Java coffee.[29] Gosling designed Java with a C/C++-style syntax that system and application programmers would find familiar.

If you are new to programming in the Java language, have some experience with other languages, and are familiar with things like displaying text or graphics or performing simple calculations, this tutorial could be for you. It walks through how to use the Java® 2 Platform software to create and run three common types of programs written for the Java platform—applications, applets, and servlets.

Java is a popular general-purpose programming language and computing platform. It is fast, reliable, and secure. According to Oracle, the company that owns Java, Java runs on 3 billion devices worldwide.

Considering the number of Java developers, devices running Java, and companies adapting it, it's safe to say that Java will be around for many years to come.

This guide will provide everything you need to know about Java programming language before you learn it. More specifically, you will learn about features of Java programming, its applications, reasons to learn it, and how you can learn it the right way.