Java Reference
In-Depth Information
Understand how statements are positioned, indented, and terminated
Know the Java keywords
Understand the rules for Java identifiers
T
he rise of the Internet and the World Wide Web fundamentally reshaped computing. Prior
to the Web, the cyber landscape was dominated by stand-alone PCs. Today, nearly all com-
puters are connected to the Internet. The Internet, itself, was transformed—originally offer-
ing a convenient way to share files and information. Today it is a vast, distributed comput-
ing universe. With these changes came a new way to program: Java.
Java is the preeminent language of the Internet, but it is more than that. Java revolu-
tionized programming, changing the way that we think about both the form and the func-
tion of a program. To be a professional programmer today implies the ability to program
in Java—it is that important. In the course of this topic, you will learn the skills needed to
master it.
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to Java, including its history, its design
philosophy, and several of its most important features. By far, the hardest thing about learn-
ing a programming language is the fact that no element exists in isolation. Instead, the
components of the language work in conjunction with each other. This interrelatedness is
especially pronounced in Java. In fact, it is difficult to discuss one aspect of Java without
involving others. To help overcome this problem, this chapter provides a brief overview
of several Java features, including the general form of a Java program, some basic control
structures, and operators. It does not go into too many details but, rather, concentrates on
the general concepts common to any Java program.
The Origins of Java
Computer language innovation is driven forward by two factors: improvements in the art
of programming and changes in the computing environment. Java is no exception. Build-
ing upon the rich legacy inherited from C and C++, Java adds refinements and features
that reflect the current state of the art in programming. Responding to the rise of the online
environment, Java offers features that streamline programming for a highly distributed ar-
chitecture.
Java was conceived by James Gosling, Patrick Naughton, Chris Warth, Ed Frank, and
Mike Sheridan at Sun Microsystems in 1991. This language was initially called “Oak” but
was renamed “Java” in 1995. Somewhat surprisingly, the original impetus for Java was not
