Today Java is one of the most popular programming languages for everything from programming
games to creating mission-critical applications such as those for trading on Wall Street or controlling
Mars rovers. In this lesson you are introduced to some of the very basic Java terms, and you
will download and install the Java Development Kit (JDK) and compile your fi rst program.
The Java programming language was originally created in 1995 by James Gosling from Sun
Microsystems (currently a subsidiary of Oracle Corporation). The goal was to provide a simpler
and platform-independent alternative to C++. You’ll see what platform independence
means a little later, in the section “The Life Cycle of a Java Program.” For now, let’s look at
some of the reasons why Java can be your language of choice.
Java is a general-purpose programming language that’s used in all industries for almost any
type of application. If you master it, your chances of getting employed as a software developer
will be higher than if you specialize in some domain-specifi c programming languages.
There are around six million professional Java developers in the world and the majority of
them are ready to share their knowledge by posting blogs and articles or simply answering
technical questions online. If you get stuck solving some problem in Java, the chances are very
high that you’ll fi nd the solution on the Internet.
Since the pool of Java developers is huge, project managers of large and small corporations like
to use Java for the development of new projects — if you decide to leave the project for whatever
reason, it’s not diffi cult to fi nd another Java programmer to replace you. At this point
you may ask, “Does that also mean that my Java skills will be easily replaceable?” To improve
your value and employability you need to master not only the syntax of the language, but also
the right set of Java-related technologies that are in demand (you’ll learn them in this book).
Not only is Java open-source, but there are millions of open-source projects being developed
in Java. Joining one of these projects is the best way to get familiar with the process
of project development and secure your very fi rst job without having any prior real-world
experience as a programmer.
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