Java Reference
In-Depth Information
Programming
language
Description
Ruby on Rails
Ruby, created in the mid-1990s, is an open-source, object-oriented programming
language with a simple syntax that's similar to Python. Ruby on Rails combines the
scripting language Ruby with the Rails web application framework developed by
37Signals. Their book, Getting Real ( gettingreal.37signals.com/toc.php ), is a
must read for web developers. Many Ruby on Rails developers have reported pro-
ductivity gains over other languages when developing database-intensive web appli-
cations.
Fig. 1.5 | Some other programming languages. (Part 3 of 3.)
1.8 Java
The microprocessor revolution's most important contribution to date is that it enabled the
development of personal computers. Microprocessors have had a profound impact in in-
telligent consumer-electronic devices. Recognizing this, Sun Microsystems in 1991 fund-
ed an internal corporate research project led by James Gosling, which resulted in a C++-
based object-oriented programming language that Sun called Java.
A key goal of Java is to be able to write programs that will run on a great variety of
computer systems and computer-controlled devices. This is sometimes called “write once,
run anywhere.”
The web exploded in popularity in 1993, and Sun saw the potential of using Java to
add dynamic content , such as interactivity and animations, to web pages. Java drew the
attention of the business community because of the phenomenal interest in the web. Java
is now used to develop large-scale enterprise applications, to enhance the functionality of
web servers (the computers that provide the content we see in our web browsers), to pro-
vide applications for consumer devices (cell phones, smartphones, television set-top boxes
and more) and for many other purposes. Java is also the key language for developing
Android smartphone and tablet apps. Sun Microsystems was acquired by Oracle in 2010.
Java Class Libraries
You can create each class and method you need to form your Java programs. However,
most Java programmers take advantage of the rich collections of existing classes and meth-
ods in the Java class libraries , also known as the Java APIs (Application Programming
Interfaces) .
Performance Tip 1.1
Using Java API classes and methods instead of writing your own versions can improve pro-
gram performance, because they're carefully written to perform efficiently. This also short-
ens program development time.
1.9 A Typical Java Development Environment
We now explain the steps to create and execute a Java application. Normally there are five
phases—edit, compile, load, verify and execute . We discuss them in the context of the Java
 
 
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search