What is java good for?

[Genkora]

I currently am learning java, but aside from being compatible with most everything, I haven't heard too much concerning what it would be suited for best. Because it needs the java run time environment, it is slower, and I've also heard that used for games it is not great on the graphics (although I'm not even sure why the programming language would matter concerning graphics). Making a program to do a handy little task which will run on any os, sure. I'm just wondering what exactly the strengths of java are besides compatibility.

 

[Varine]

It's a newer language that's easy to write in, you can use the Internet with it easier since a lot of programming languages were designed before the Internet was, it doesn't use pointer arithmetic like C++, checks array bounds, you don't usually need to call the OS directly because it has a lot of libraries that extend the language, things like. I don't know if it's better or worse to write in, I'm learning C++ but that's because I'm doing game development and most engines use C languages or something derived from it. I think it's got a GUI thing to help (I've never used it, so I wouldn't know for sure) instead of being entirely text based.

The graphics issue I think is because it uses a lot of CPU usage, which means less of the CPU to do the rendering math and all of that. But with the newer processors I don't know if that is a big deal.

 

[codemonkey]

"a newer language"? It has been around since '95. Back in the days before Flash was popular everyone used Java for online games and ads. Today I only really see Java used in browser physic games and ecards. Overall I say you're best off with Flash for heavily dynamic web applications (otherwise just use HTML and JavaScript for less dynamic applications) and Python or C/C++ for desktop programming.

 

[Varine]

"a newer language"? It has been around since '95. Back in the days before Flash was popular everyone used Java for online games and ads. Today I only really see Java used in browser physic games and ecards. Overall I say you're best off with Flash for heavily dynamic web applications (otherwise just use HTML and JavaScript for less dynamic applications) and Python or C/C++ for desktop programming.

Whereas C came out in 1972 and C++ in 1983, Python in early 1990's. It's newer compared to a lot of the other ones that are commonly used.

 

[Slapshot136]

it's a preferred server language (the EE version)

 

[GetTriggerUnit-]

Yea. It's good for things such as Chat with Serializables and good with net.

Applets, very easy GUI and.. it's protected into it's virtual machine.

(~CANNOT HACK! Only read Internet devices)

 

[Lyerae]

I personally think Java is only good for web-based applications.