Briefly about Java – it is a high-level general-purpose programming language first introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1995. Some many applications and websites will not work properly if Java software is not installed on the user’s system and its number is still growing. Java is suitable for writing both small and large projects. It is also the preferred language in corporations, large companies and is often used in banking systems. There’s no denying that Java has been everywhere for many, many years! And what are its’ myths?

It is outdated

If something is on the market for as long as Java is probably already outdated! Many people come to such conclusions, however, this is a mistaken view. Just because the name hasn’t changed in so many years doesn’t mean that nothing has changed in Java. During the first years of the functioning of this programming language, it has changed approximately every two years and recently, changes have occurred more and more often and implement truly innovative solutions to improve the work of programmers using Java. Some people say that Java’s days are numbered, but since it was taken over by Oracle, the upgrades and functions still allow it to be at the forefront of modern programming languages in the world.

It is so slow

This myth dates back to a very early time when Java could be understood as slow, but it was the beginning of programming languages and this judgement is no longer accurate. Everything has changed since Java Virtual Machine was introduced. In the past Java, speed was compared to programming languages such as C or C++, but that’s already history. Additionally, when the JVM JIT compiler was added, the ordinary programming language has turned into a real ecosystem, which is currently very fast, extremely efficient and works as a platform for many other languages, such as Kotlin or Scala. Now Java is more than just a programming language, it’s an amazing multifunctional tool.

It is confusing

By saying that Java is confusing you can understand many different things. One of the things which make people believe that Java is confusing is that there are Java and JavaScript and they do not see the difference. The fact that they are called similarly doesn’t mean anything because Java is a programming language and JavaScript is a scripting language for creating different things such as HTML documents.

The second issue by which Java is considered to be a confusing language is the fact that although it is the language which is most often learned at the beginning of one’s programming path it is not the simplest language. For example, Python, C# or Ruby are much simpler than Java, while C and C++ are more difficult. But it is not about whether a particular language is difficult or simple, but about whether the application works on one or another language, the company uses one or another or simply what we want to do and what will look better if we use this and not another programming language.

Some people also say that they have problems with creating and distinguishing objects, classes, constructors, methods and other Java concepts, but they need practice and exercises to achieve this. Programming is a profession that needs to be learned and understood. It cannot be done quickly and without contributing to the task.

It is expensive

It is very strange, but a few years after the takeover of Java by Oracle, around 2018 there was a ubiquitous concern that JDK (Java Development Kit) will be a paid and not a low priced service. At this point, it is worth mentioning that Oracle distributes two versions of JDK, i.e. Oracle JDK and Oracle OpenJDK. Oracle OpenJDK is a completely free product and you only have to pay for Oracle JDK but additional you get long-term Oracle support in return. So the choice is and without any problems, you can still use the free version of it. Furthermore, you can also easily download a regular Java without the whole modularisation or use free alternatives such as the one offered by Amazon that is Amazon Corretto.

It is the only programming language I need to learn

There is no denying that Java is one of the most popular, commonly used and best known of all programming languages. However, due to the rapid and continuous development of the IT industry, you cannot ignore all the other solutions. With Java, you can create mobile and web applications and many other great things, but it does not mean that it is the best option in all cases. If you want to keep up with the technological development it is worth to learn other programming languages and be able to use them depending on the task you are working on. The work of a programmer gives us many possible approaches to certain issues, so it is not worth limiting your activities and career development based only on one programming language.

Myths are born in the minds of all people when they do not have enough knowledge or when they rely on the unproven opinion of others. For this reason, it is worth to learn by ourselves how it all looks like. As for programming, you really need to devote yourself to it to bring the expected results and no doubt the Java programming language is a very good way to start the journey into the world of IT.

Want to learn Java and become a software developer? Read more about SDA programming courses for beginners.