Java Reference
In-Depth Information
Java Compared to C
• Java is object oriented; C is procedural.
• Java is portable as class files; C needs to be recompiled.
• Java provides extensive instrumentation as part of the runtime.
• Java has no pointers and no equivalent of pointer arithmetic.
• Java provides automatic memory management via garbage collection.
• Java has no ability to lay out memory at a low level (no structs).
• Java has no preprocessor.
Java Compared to C++
• Java has a simplified object model compared to C++.
• Java's dispatch is virtual by default.
• Java is always pass-by-value (but one of the possibilities for Java's values are
object references).
• Java does not support full multiple inheritance.
• Java's generics are less powerful (but also less dangerous) than C++ templates.
• Java has no operator overloading.
Java Compared to PHP
• Java is statically typed; PHP is dynamically typed.
• Java has a JIT; PHP does not (but might in version 6).
• Java is a general-purpose language; PHP is rarely found outside of websites.
• Java is multithreaded; PHP is not.
Java Compared to JavaScript
• Java is statically typed; JavaScript is dynamically typed.
• Java uses class-based objects; JavaScript is prototype based.
• Java provides good object encapsulation; Javascript does not.
• Java has namespaces; JavaScript does not.
• Java is multithreaded; JavaScript is not.
