Chances are you googled "What is Java?" and you got a response like, "Java is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible."
You might be a newbie in tech or just a curious person. Either way, I aim to simplify one of the most famous programming languages—Java, and explain how it differs from JavaScript. Yes, they are not the same.
What Is JavaScript?
JavaSript is a case-sensitive scripting language mostly run on websites—to make them user-interactive. It adds engaging functionalities to websites that would otherwise be static using just HTML and CSS.
JavaScript does more than make websites dynamic. It is also the language behind many APIs.
Most browsers have built-in JavaScript engines, software that interprets JavaScript code to the browser. These engines make it so that JavaScript does not require compiling. Examples of such software would be; v8 in Chrome and SpiderMonkey in Firefox.
As earlier stated, JavaScript is a case-sensitive programming language. This means var = myCamelCase would not be the same as var = Mycamelcase. In JavaScript, lines of code called 'statements' end with a semicolon. Variables store data in JavaScript and are declared with keywords, such as var, let, and const.
Creation Of JavaScript
In an attempt to create more dynamic websites, that is, websites that did more than just display texts, Netscape(a software company) decided to build a programming language that could collect user input, store user data and return output. After a couple of days, Brendan Eich developed a
scripting language named Mocha (which the company later decided to name LiveScript) in September 1995.
Meanwhile, JAVA was the new and in-demand programming language at the time. As a marketing strategy, instead of calling this new scripting language LiveScript as earlier concluded, it launched as JavaScript.
What Is Java?
In a statistical analysis carried out by CodingNomads, as of 2022, Java is easily the second most in-demand programming language by hiring managers.
This sought-after technical skill is a high-level programming language. What this means is that it is human-friendly. It is easy for humans to read and understand its syntax.
Oracle—a software company, owns this language. It has been in existence since 1993. The central idea behind creating this language was to write a program that only needed to be composed once and would run anywhere. Java code appears in almost all software available to man. From game consoles to washing machines.
How Is Java Structured?
Java runs on OOPs(Object Oriented Programming) concepts. It uses classes to create prototypes that are reusable in any instance. These classes contain objects that implement functions through a process of inheritance.
Unlike JavaScript, Java requires compilation to run. We compile Java using bytecode. Bytecode converts the code to machine language. Otherwise, interpretation is impossible.
To ensure readability and neatness of code, objects and classes use words in real life. Classes begin with uppercase letters and must be nouns.
What Is Object-Oriented Programming?
Object-Oriented Programming revolves around four main concepts;
Inheritance:
This is the ability of parent classes to inherit the features of the subclasses. This concept is easily explained in human anatomy when children are products of genes passed on to them from their parents. It eliminates the redundancy of code.
Abstraction:
In procedural programming, altering one function could destroy others in the code. The concept of abstraction ensures that subtraction or addition of variables is incapable of crashing the program. In this concept, only the essential parts of code are shown.
Encapsulation:
This is the process of grouping objects, methods, and functions together under a class to achieve the orderliness of code. What this does is that it reduces the number of parameters attached to subroutines in code.
Polymorphism:
Say we create a method with the name of useLegs(). Legs are for running, walking, and jumping. In this way, we have used our method in multiple ways. Polymorphism describes the ability of functions to execute in many forms.
### Differences Between Java And Javascript Although there appear to be no differences between JavaScript and Java, there are. Some of which are;
While JavaScript is an OOP-based scripting language, Java is an OOP-based programming language.
JavaScript is functional only in the system in which it is embedded—as in web browsers. However once Java is written it can run anywhere—its reusability allows for this.
Java requires compiling twice to function, while JavaScript does not.
Classes in Java use real-life words contrary to JavaScript.
Are Java And JavaScript Still Relevant Today?
For anyone looking to explore the tech space, Java and/or JavaScript are two immensely valuable skills to acquire.
Despite how old they both are, they are still very much sought-after by employers. A Java developer could earn anywhere from $47,000 – $106,000 per year. While the average salary for a JavaScript developer is $84,000/per year.
JavaScript and Java rank first and fourth, respectively, as the most common programming languages among developers.