Editor's note: In this article, Artem answers the common questions asked by companies planning a software development initiative: Is Java still used and whether it is a good choice for a new project in 2024? To learn what types of software ScienceSoft creates using Java and other popular programming languages, check our software development offer.
In 2024, the Java programming language turned 29. It means Java is quite old by the programming language standards. That’s one of the reasons you may wonder whether Java is still a commonly used language and whether a Java-based application created today will stay competitive in years to come. Read on to find the answers.
Java keeps up with the times
After 29 years of life, Java is doing very well. More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies use this language, and the TIOBE Index names Java the most popular programming language in the world. The Java language is evolving to keep up with tech innovations and software development trends. It is commonly used in various segments of software development, including web and mobile development, and such trending techs as big data, IoT (Internet of Things), blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI).
In 2018, Java switched to a 6-month new release cycle. Previously, new versions of Java were released every two to three years, while sometimes we had to wait for a new release for six to seven years. But starting with Java 10, fresh releases come out in March and September each year, which makes the Java community at the leading edge of innovation.
Naturally, the number of jobs for Java developers globally continues to grow. Today, there are nearly 8 million Java programmers worldwide. And this is one of the main reasons why many organizations opt for this language in their development projects. An extensive workforce offer makes it easy for businesses to find well-qualified yet affordable Java developers.
Java in IoT and other trending techs
According to the IoT Developer Survey, developers of embedded software solutions for IoT devices choose Java as the most important programming language in this field. One of the main reasons for that resides in the high portability of the Java language. Since Java runs in the JVM (Java Virtual Machine), developers can easily transfer Java code to any chips, devices or software packages with the pre-installed JVM.
There are many other Java trends, besides IoT. Development projects in big data, augmented reality, robot vehicles, and cloud computing rely on the Java code to a great extent.
Experts about the future of Java
Experts in the software development field confirm that Java will remain one of the most widely used programming languages in the world in the near future.
“The language and its frameworks allow building software that is scalable, highly secure and powerful, which are the three pillars of modern applications. Java frameworks provide excellent support for advanced streaming apps through reactive function. They also offer robust functionality for using within the newest cloud computing models - serverless and FaaS apps. I’m sure this will make Java and Java-based frameworks confident leaders in the worldwide practice of back end development,” stated Vladimir Sinkevich, Head of Java Development at ScienceSoft.
“Languages are hard to change, so Java will continue to lead. It will be interesting to see if other languages begin to use the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Not just JVM dialects like Scala and Kotlin but other languages with their own user bases, like Ruby, JavaScript, or Python,” said Mark Little, VP Middleware Engineering at Red Hat.
“We cannot throw away the investment we made in the industry and training. There is no need to learn a whole new language and start from scratch. As such, it’s important for Java to run well in new environments,” noted Anders Wallgren, Electric Cloud’s CTO.
Should you choose Java for your next development project?
Despite being 29 years old, Java is still in great shape, and Java developers have every reason to be optimistic about the future. Considering Java is an important part of development in many IoT, AI, big data, and blockchain projects, it’s fair to say that Java contributes to driving IT innovations these days. Should you be seeking for professional Java consulting or need to support your project with advanced Java expertise, our selected Java architects and developers will be happy to help.
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