What is Java?

Java is a high-level, object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems in 1995 (now owned by Oracle Corporation). It is designed to be platform-independent and follows the principle of “Write Once, Run Anywhere” (WORA), meaning code written in Java can run on any device with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

🔷 Key Features of Java

1. Platform-Independent
   Java code is compiled into bytecode, which runs on the JVM. This allows Java programs to be executed on any platform with a JVM.

2. Object-Oriented
   Java follows the object-oriented programming paradigm, focusing on objects and classes.

3. Robust and Secure
   Java has strong memory management and built-in security features.

4. Multithreaded
   Java supports multithreading, which allows multiple parts of a program to run simultaneously.

5. Automatic Garbage Collection
   Java handles memory deallocation automatically via its garbage collector.

6. Rich Standard Library
   Comes with a vast collection of pre-built classes and packages for various tasks like networking, file handling, GUI development, etc.

🔷 Java Editions

1. Java SE (Standard Edition): Core language features and libraries.

2. Java EE (Enterprise Edition): For building large-scale, distributed, web-based applications (now Jakarta EE).

3. Java ME (Micro Edition): For developing applications on mobile and embedded devices.

🔷 Common Use Cases

• Web applications (using Spring, JSP, Servlets)

• Android app development

• Enterprise software

• Scientific applications

• Embedded systems