Discovering Java, the programming language

Java is an object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems and released to the public in 1995, with a promise that became its most famous slogan: “write once, run anywhere.” The idea was revolutionary for its time: write a program only once and be able to run it on any operating system without modifications, thanks to a virtual machine called the JVM that acts as an intermediary between the code and the underlying system. This feature made Java extremely attractive for companies, which could develop software without worrying about differences between Windows, Linux or macOS, and it contributed decisively to its widespread adoption in the enterprise world.

Over the years, Java has consolidated its position as one of the most widely used languages in enterprise and institutional environments, becoming the standard choice for banking applications, management systems, booking platforms and critical infrastructures. With the arrival of Android, Java found a huge new area of application: for many years it was the main language for mobile app development on Google’s platform, helping shape entire generations of developers. On the server side, frameworks such as Spring made Java a powerful and structured tool for building complex web applications, with particular attention to scalability, security and long-term code maintainability.

Today Java is managed by Oracle, which acquired its rights through the purchase of Sun Microsystems in 2010, and it continues to be regularly updated with new versions introducing modern features. Despite the growing competition from newer languages such as Kotlin, which is gradually replacing it in Android development, Java remains one of the most requested languages in the job market and one of the most taught in universities around the world. Its verbosity and rigidity, which may seem like disadvantages to developers coming from leaner languages, are actually appreciated characteristics in contexts where code clarity, error handling and project structure are absolute priorities.