What is the next big thing in Java?
Tags: java, javanews
Published: 2020-07-11 03:00:07

Something or the next exciting thing is always happening in Java programming language. So, if you're constantly wondering **what the next big thing in Java is**, you are not alone. There are millions of people who have the same question in mind.

Does Java have its fair share of competition? Although Java is the undisputed king when it comes to developing Android mobile apps, it definitely has its competition from multiple programming languages including JavaScript. Nowadays, there is a talk about Flutter replacing Java sooner or later in the mobile app development industry. [What's Flutter?](https://flutter.dev/)

Flutter is a toolbox that uses the Dart object-oriented programming language. But here, we are neither talking about the Flutter toolbox nor about the Dart programming language. We are talking about the next big thing that is expected with the Java programming language. Let’s first know a few more things about Java. Why is it so popular?

##The reasons why Java is so popular##
One of the biggest reasons why Java is so popular is that it is an object-oriented programming language. Which means, programmers can create objects and once these objects are created, the data and functions encapsulated within these objects can be accessed through referenced variables.

So what, you may say? Even C++ and other equivalent languages allow object-oriented programming. In fact, the C++ programming language pioneered the concept of object-oriented programming. 

Whereas, there is nothing wrong in C++, the great thing about Java is that it is easier to learn compared to C++. The syntax of Java is near to the natural language. It is quite simple. There are less than 60 keywords to learn when you begin to learn Java. The rest of the functions in Java come from hundreds of thousands of Java libraries and extensions created by enthusiastic and commercial Java programmers. 

###Java is favorite among mobile app developers##
There are numerous reasons why Java is predominantly used by mobile app developers all over the world. The first reason is already mentioned above – it is an object-oriented programming language and hence, data and functions can be clearly defined.

[Java](https://www.java.com/en/) is platform independent. The program is first interpreted and then run by the Java Runtime Environment. This enables mobile app developers to run their mobile apps on a wide selection of devices.

It has rich XML parsing, API, networking and database connection utilities. The Java programming language provides everything a mobile app developer needs to develop cutting-edge mobile apps. It is also open source and available for free. 

The [mobile app developers](https://codedode.com) can use Eclipse and NetBeans which are powerful tools for building Java-powered mobile apps. The icing on the cake is that Android has its own set of APIs and Java libraries. Hence, even when mobile app developers are using Java to build their mobile apps, they can use native capabilities of the Android operating system.

Then of course, its English-like syntax makes it easier to learn and easier to code.
##The next big thing in Java##
Want to know where Java is heading? Eager to know what new developments are taking place in Java and what the future holds for the programming language? We are going to explore some facts here.

Interestingly, despite being one of the oldest languages on the block, Java is constantly, and rapidly evolving. 

Just in 2019, students were learning Java 9. And now we already have Java 10 while Java 11-13 are being rolled out. Changes like var with local variables, enhancements in the way Java handles API libraries, GC improvements and thread local handshakes are among the biggest changes.

Talking about the **next big thing in Java**, there are multiple. 

When working in a programming language, it isn’t just the language or its syntax that you need to acquaint yourself with, there is an entire ecosystem within which you must work. Below we are going to explore some changes within the language as well as the programming tools used by the programmers for programming in Java.

##The Git version control system##
When you’re working with a team of programmers it is very important to track the individual versions of the files. This way, if something goes wrong, you can always revert to the previous version or one of the previous versions. A robust versioning system also helps you track among programmers who is doing what.

Git is the most widely used version control system in the world these days. It is not exclusively used for Java but if you are doing Java programming, especially with a team, this tool can be indispensable. It is an open source project originally developed by Linus Torvalds himself (the developer of the UNIX operating system) back in 2005. Having a distributed architecture, it is also aptly called the “Distributed Version Control System”.

What makes Git so effective is that it is not depend on the file names and timestamps to track different versions. It uses the actual contents of the file and a combination of delta encoding, compression and version meta data objects.

The point is, if you are learning Java and want to use it as a stepping stone for building your career, you might as well start learning it using the Git environment because it is certainly becoming the next big thing in Java.

##Java 9-14 progression##
As mentioned above, the new versions of Java are constantly being released. In JDK 9, you get the Reactive, Streams, Jigsaw, Process API, HHTP2 client and a host of other modules. If you are still stuck with previous versions of Java, this is a good time to switch to the latest version. Java 10 gives you dynamic typing and GC improvements.

The point is, it is not just about knowing Java, working with the latest versions and with the latest SDKs is as important as acquainting yourself with the syntax.

##Spring Java library##
Spring is often termed as the Java Netflix. It is a collection of libraries and frameworks that help you deploy micro-services, Reactive-powered applications, cloud services, scalable servers, event driven programs, mobile apps, and of course, web apps. It is one of the most popular Java frameworks.

Spring allows you to write programs in Java quicker, faster, easier, and of course, safer. 

Everything you need for an app or a software application, it exists in Spring. Whether you want to build a video streaming service or an online retail store, an Internet of Things network or even connected cars, you can do it with Java and Spring. Tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Alibaba regularly use the Spring Java framework.

##Java DevOps##
More than a tool or a framework, DevOps is a mix of programming practices, philosophies and tools that can help your organization build and deploy applications at high speed. The term expands to Development and IT Operations. It is also akin to agile software development.

Normally, your development team and your operations team work in silos. But when you apply the DevOps, both these teams, along with the security and quality assurance team, work together to build applications, in our case, the Java applications. 

This brings us to Java DevOps (about the next big thing in Java). Java DevOps is so important and avant garde that we are going to have a bit longer explanation of the concept. Some of the Java DevOps principles include

* **Continuous implementation and integration:** Since the teams no longer work in silos, the developers continuously merge their code with a central repository. Automated builds are automatically executed. This helps the team find out bugs and other issues immediately.

* **Micro-services and micro-applications:** The bigger application is a collection of very small applications. Every module is a complete application in itself. When needed, it is called from the main application. This way, you develop a group of applications that are complete in themselves and then eventually, you knit them together.

* **Infrastructure as a code:** This means, the needs of your code decide how much infrastructure you are going to need or use. As you must know, many cloud services such as AWS allow you to pay for their services as per use. When your code decides how you are going to use the infrastructure, it’s easier to scale.

The benefits of Java DevOps are multipronged, and they are both technological as well as social.

When all your teams need to work together, they begin to understand each other’s problems and begin to empathize with each other. Aside from this, there are lesser bugs because most of the bugs are dealt with early on. Every module is an application in itself, so programmers need to focus on smaller pieces of code instead of very large files.

##Java for Internet of Things##
You must have heard of Internet of Things. What is it?

IoT is a network of interconnected devices including computers, mobile phones, watches, remote controls, smart devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo, as well as appliances and gadgets like music players, TV, refrigerators, surveillance cameras & security devices, thermostat, lighting systems, and pretty much everything that needs to respond according to its surrounding environment.

Small example: You want the lighting in your room to automatically dim when you are playing your favourite romantic song on your music system. When you play the song, the music system sends a signal to the lighting system and the lighting in your room is dimmed.

Java by nature is platform independent, so it becomes a perfect choice for Internet of Things developers. Suppose you make an application in Java that works on the circuit of an appliance. Since it is platform independent, the same application can be embedded on a different appliance performing the same functions, without having to rewrite the code.

It is especially used in industrial IoT because of its zero affinity with the hardware devices it is run on. Since hardware devices can be as diverse as there are companies manufacturing them (for example, there are more companies manufacturing washing machines than mobile phones) the secure and stable programming environment that works on multiple platforms is a boon for IoT programmers.

##Java for artificial intelligence##
What the Internet was for the early 90s, artificial intelligence is for the 2000s. From driverless cars to satellites orbiting the earth, artificial intelligence is used everywhere these days.

Although no specific language has been developed for making artificial intelligence applications, so far Java can be named as the best language for AI projects. First, Java is object-oriented, which is a must have feature for all AI projects. Java is run on a virtual machine, which makes it portable, transparent, and easily manageable. Of course, it also makes it platform independent.

AI is mostly a collection of algorithms, and Java is built for developing algorithms. The language is good for large-scale as well as many school projects. It has an inbuilt garbage collector and automatically deletes useless data. Advanced libraries are being created for Java users all over the world. There is a Java community with millions of members worldwide. Hence, there is enough reason to use Java for AI development.

##Conclusion##
Frankly, what is the next big thing in Java depends on what direction you want to take for your Java career. [Do you want to become a mobile app developer?](https://www.assignmentoverflow.com/how-to-create-an-app/) An AI developer? Do you want to work in a big software company with a global team of coders and programmers? Accordingly, you decide what you want to learn next in Java.