Java is a
programming language originally developed by
James Gosling at
Sun Microsystems (now part of
Oracle Corporation) and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems'
Java platform. The language derives much of its
syntax from
C and
C++ but has a simpler
object model and fewer
low-level facilities. Java applications are typically
compiled to
bytecode (
class file) that can run on any
Java Virtual Machine (JVM) regardless of
computer architecture. Java is a general-purpose, concurrent, class-based, object-oriented language that is specifically designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is intended to let application developers "write once, run anywhere." Java is currently one of the most popular programming languages in use, particularly for client-server web applications.
[10][11]
The original and
reference implementation Java
compilers, virtual machines, and
class libraries were developed by Sun from 1995. As of May 2007, in compliance with the specifications of the
Java Community Process, Sun relicensed most of its Java technologies under the
GNU General Public License. Others have also developed alternative implementations of these Sun technologies, such as the
GNU Compiler for Java and
GNU Classpath.
James Gosling, Mike Sheridan, and
Patrick Naughton initiated the Java language project in June 1991.
[12] Java was originally designed for interactive television, but it was too advanced for the digital cable television industry at the time.
[13] The language was initially called
Oak after an
oak tree that stood outside Gosling's office; it went by the name
Green later, and was later renamed
Java, from Java coffee, said to be consumed in large quantities by the language's creators.
[14] Gosling aimed to implement a
virtual machine and a language that had a familiar
C/
C++ style of notation.
[15]
Sun Microsystems released the first public implementation as Java 1.0 in 1995. It promised "
Write Once, Run Anywhere" (WORA), providing no-cost run-times on popular
platforms. Fairly secure and featuring configurable security, it allowed network- and file-access restrictions. Major web browsers soon incorporated the ability to run Java
applets within web pages, and Java quickly became popular. With the advent of
Java 2 (released initially as J2SE 1.2 in December 1998–1999), new versions had multiple configurations built for different types of platforms. For example,
J2EE targeted enterprise applications and the greatly stripped-down version
J2ME for mobile applications (Mobile Java).
J2SE designated the Standard Edition. In 2006, for marketing purposes, Sun renamed new
J2 versions as
Java EE,
Java ME, and
Java SE, respectively.
In 1997, Sun Microsystems approached the
ISO/IEC JTC1 standards body and later the
Ecma International to formalize Java, but it soon withdrew from the process.
[16] Java remains a
de facto standard, controlled through the
Java Community Process.
[17] At one time, Sun made most of its Java implementations available without charge, despite their
proprietary software status. Sun generated revenue from Java through the selling of licenses for specialized products such as the Java Enterprise System. Sun distinguishes between its
Software Development Kit (SDK) and
Runtime Environment (JRE) (a subset of the SDK); the primary distinction involves the JRE's lack of the compiler, utility programs, and header files.
On November 13, 2006, Sun released much of Java as
free and open source software, (FOSS), under the terms of the
GNU General Public License (GPL). On May 8, 2007, Sun finished the process, making all of Java's core code available under
free software/open-source distribution terms, aside from a small portion of code to which Sun did not hold the copyright.
[18]
Sun's vice-president Rich Green said that Sun's ideal role with regards to Java was as an "evangelist."
[19] Following
Oracle Corporation's acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2009–2010, Oracle has described itself as the "steward of Java technology with a relentless commitment to fostering a community of participation and transparency".
[20] Java software runs on
laptops to
data centers,
game consoles to scientific
supercomputers. There are 930 million
Java Runtime Environment downloads each year and 3 billion
mobile phones run Java.
[21] On April 2, 2010, James Gosling resigned from Oracle
source:
http://en.wikipedia.org