The current (Latest) version of Java is 8. Java can be classified and defined into two categories.
1. Software Platform.
2. Programming Language.
Java as Software Platform
Java platform is a collection of software components which allow development and execution of bytecode based languages. Bytecode is binary code that Java platform interpret.
The Java platform is composed of
1. Compiler – It generate bytecode from source code
2. Java Virtual Machine – It provide runtime execution environment for bytecode.
3. Libraries – It contain Java API.
4. Tools – Various Java Tools.
The Java bytecode has two important characteristics
1. It is processor independent i.e. the program can run on any processor architecture.
2. It is Operating System independent i.e. bytecode does not target any Operating System such as Windows or Linux.
The Java platform is available in four flavors based upon device type.
1. Java Card – It is used in smart cards and small memory devices.
2. Java ME (Micro Edition) – It is used in Personnel Digital Assistants, Setup Box and printers application.
3. Java SE (Standard Edition) – It is used in development of desktop, communication and User Interface based applications.
4. Java EE (Enterprise Edition) – It is used in development of web based, messaging, distributed and enterprise applications.
The Java Platform has support for many languages such as
1. Java
2. Jython
3. Jruby
4. Scala
5. Groovy
6. Rakudo Perl 6
7. Kotlin
Java as Programming Language
Java is multi paradigm programming language. It is one of the most used programming language for development of various types of software such as desktop, enterprise, web based and mobile applications.
Some of important attributes of Java Language are
1. Statically typed – The type of the variable is known at compile time.
2. Object oriented – Object centered programming.
3. Concurrent – Support for multithreading programming.
4. Reflective – Allows inspection of class, method, interface, fields.
