23-04-2012, 12:36 PM
Key Features Of Java
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Simple
Java was developed by taking the best points from other programming languages, primarily C and C++. Java therefore utilizes algorithms and methodologies that are already proven. Error prone tasks such as pointers and memory management have either been eliminated or are handled by the Java environment automatically rather than by the programmer. Since Java is primarily a derivative of C++ which most programmers are conversant with, it implies that Java has a familiar feel rendering it easy to use.
Object Oriented
Even though Java has the look and feel of C++, it is a wholly independent language which has been designed to be object-oriented from the ground up. In object-oriented programming (OOP), data is treated as objects to which methods are applied. Java's basic execution unit is the class. Advantages of OOP include: reusability of code, extensibility and dynamic applications.
Distributed
Commonly used Internet protocols such as HTTP and FTP as well as calls for network access are built into Java. Internet programmers can call on the functions through the supplied libraries and be able to access files on the Internet as easily as writing to a local file system.
Interpreted
When Java code is compiled, the compiler outputs the Java Bytecode which is an executable for the Java Virtual Machine. The Java Virtual Machine does not exist physically but is the
specification for a hypothetical processor that can run Java code. The bytecode is then run through a Java interpreter on any given platform that has the interpreter ported to it. The interpreter converts the code to the target hardware and executes it.
Robust
Java compels the programmer to be thorough. It carries out type checking at both compile and runtime making sure that every data structure has been clearly defined and typed. Java manages memory automatically by using an automatic garbage collector. The garbage collector runs as a low priority thread in the background keeping track of all objects and references to those objects in a Java program. When an object has no more references, the garbage collector tags it for removal and removes the object either when there is an immediate need for more memory or when the demand on processor cycles by the program is low.
Secure
It is important that a programmer not be able to write subversive code for applications or applets. This is especially true with the Internet being used more and more extensively for services such as electronic commerce and electronic distribution of software and multimedia content. The Java language has built-in capabilities to ensure that violations of security do not occur. As Java was originally targeting mobile devices that would be exchanging data over networks, it was built to include a high level of security.