Java Tutorial Series: Introduction, features and working of java
Tags: java, beginners, programming, tutorial
Published: 2023-02-28 15:37:02


Hello everyone. In this blog, we are going to see about java introduction and how it works. Then we will see application and features of java. Let’s get started.

## Introduction:
Java is one of the most popular programming language. It is an high level, object-oriented programming language developed by James Gosling and his team at Sun Microsystems Inc in the year 1995. It is a platform-independent language, which means that it can run on any operating system that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed.
![Image source: wikipedia](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0q4pmljseu54mkoskyg6.jpg)

James Gosling is a computer scientist who is widely known as the "father of Java." and lead designer behind the java programming language. He was born on May 19, 1955, in Calgary, Canada, and earned a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1983.

He worked at Sun Microsystems, which was acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2010, where he led the team that developed Java. Gosling has also worked on numerous other software projects and has received many awards for his contributions to computer science, including the Order of Canada in 2007.

## Java feature:

Java has many features that make it a popular programming language for developing a wide range of applications. Here are some of its key features:

**1. Platform Independence:** Java is a platform-independent language, which means that once you write the code, it can run on any operating system that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed.

**2. Object-Oriented Programming:** Java is an object-oriented language, which means that it uses objects to represent data and functionality. This allows for better organization of code and makes it easier to maintain and modify.

**3. Automatic Memory Management:** Java uses automatic memory management, which means that the system automatically handles memory allocation and deallocation. This helps prevent common memory-related errors, such as buffer overflows and memory leaks.

**4. Robustness and Reliability:** Java was designed with a strong emphasis on robustness and reliability. It includes features like exception handling and automatic garbage collection, which make it easier to write reliable and bug-free code.

**5. Security:** Java has a built-in security model that helps protect against malicious code and other security threats. It includes features like a security manager, bytecode verifier, and class loader that make it more difficult for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities in your code.

**6. Rich API:** Java has a rich API (Application Programming Interface) that includes many useful classes and libraries for developing a wide range of applications. These include classes for I/O, networking, graphics, and more.

**7. Multi-threading:** Java supports multi-threading, which allows you to write programs that can perform multiple tasks simultaneously. This can help improve the performance of your application and make it more responsive.

**8. Scalability:** Java is highly scalable and can be used to develop applications of any size, from small desktop applications to large enterprise systems.

## **Java is used for:**


•	Mobile applications (specially Android apps)
•	Desktop applications
•	Web applications
•	Web servers and application servers
•	Games
•	Database connection
•	And much, much more!

## **How java works:**

Java works through a combination of compilation and interpretation.

**1. Compilation:** The Java source code is compiled into bytecode by the Java compiler. Bytecode is a low-level, platform-independent code that can be executed on any system that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed.

**2. Interpretation:** When the Java program is executed, the JVM interprets the byte code and translates it into machine code that can be executed by the underlying system. This process is called Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation and improves the performance of the program by optimizing frequently executed code.

Here are the steps involved in running a Java program:

**1. Writing the Java code:** The developer writes the Java code using a text editor or integrated development environment (IDE).

**2. Compilation:** The Java compiler compiles the source code into bytecode.

**3. Loading:** The JVM loads the bytecode into memory.

**4. Verification:** The JVM verifies the bytecode to ensure that it is valid and does not violate any security restrictions.

**5. Interpretation:** The JVM interprets the bytecode and translates it into machine code.

**6. Execution:** The machine code is executed by the underlying system.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/c4r2jwmpy8j2307q70oc.png)

> In short term, firstly, Java source code compiled into byte code and then it is interpreted to machine code.

During execution, the JVM performs many tasks, including memory management, security checks, and garbage collection.

## Why use java:

•	Java works on different platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, etc.)
•	It is one of the most popular programming language in the world
•	It has a large demand in the current job market
•	It is easy to learn and simple to use
•	It is open-source and free
•	It is secure, fast and powerful
•	It has a huge community support (tens of millions of developers)
•	Java is an object-oriented language which gives a clear structure to programs and allows code to be reused, lowering development costs
•	As Java is close to C++ and C#, it makes it easy for programmers to switch to Java or vice versa.

Our next post on **java history**

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Thanks for reading..!! :)
Akshay