What is the difference between Java and Javascript? Comparing Java and JavaScript

The question of how Java differs from JavaScript excites the minds of many novice programmers, because they seem almost the same and have the same root word in their names. It can be assumed that JS is more like a “scripted” form. But this is a wrong judgment. These are two different programming languages. They only share the common history of Netscape, which explains their similarity. Then they diverge in completely different directions.

Today, programmers like to joke that these languages ​​look alike like a ham hamster. However, understanding how Java differs from JavaScript is important in order to consider yourself a literate person.

History of language differences

In the early days of the Internet, in 1990, Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator were the two most popular web browsers that were widely used by users.

The talented developer Brendan H. of Netscape Inc in just 10 days created a programming language for the browser, which instructed the computer on how to interact with the user. He named this language Livescript and integrated it directly into Navigator. After which the browser interpreted the user's commands. The code did not need to be compiled, and the plug-in was not required at all.

Another programming language, Java, was gaining popularity around the same time, although it required a separate plug-in to work. It is a programming language invented by James Gosling of Sun Microsystems. Its creation and development took much more than 10 days - it took more than four years. Since 1991, a team of Sun Microsystem engineers called the Green Team worked day and night to create it. It was first published in 1995, since then several new versions of the language have been released.

Today's Internet is full of programming products, and you can thank Java for many of its applications that make life easier for users. The brand is currently owned by Oracle.

Java definition

Java is what has its own code, being an object-oriented general-purpose programming language in which the same code can be used anywhere. It is compiled as well as interpreted. The compiler converts the source code into bytecode, then the interpreter creates machine code that is directly executed by the machine. It is robust, distributed, portable, and can be used to develop standalone or web applications.

Language Features:

1. Compilation and interpretation is Java, which creates the conditions for the compiler to translate the source code into bytecode. Then, machine code is created that can be executed directly by the machine, and the interpreter is responsible for this.
2. Having an independent and portable platform, it can be moved from one machine to another. Apply with any modification of operating systems, while system resources and the processor do not affect the program.
3. The byte code generated by the compiler can be used on any machine.
4. A purely object-oriented language where everything revolves around classes and objects.
5. Prevents virus threats and misuse of resources. It consists of a garbage collector and uses exception handling to eliminate errors and the risk of failures.
6. Distributed It allows you to create applications on the network and can share both data and the program. And it can also be used to access remote objects via the Internet and allows several programmers to work in tandem from different remote places.
7. Multithreading and interactivity. Helps multi-threaded programs where you can handle multiple tasks at the same time.
8. Has dynamic and extensible new classes, objects, methods and libraries. It can also support functions written in languages ​​such as C and C ++.
9. Ease of development, as code reuse makes the creation process easier.
10. Scalability. You can improve performance by increasing startup time and minimizing memory consumption at runtime.

JavaScript Features

What is javascript? First of all, this language is important for the functioning of the system. It has a built-in client-side scripting language that provides the correct behavior and interactivity of applications. The language was introduced at Netscape's ECMA (European Association of Computer Manufacturers) for standardization purposes. The standard version is called ECMA Script. It has become popular due to marketing ploy to gain user interest.

The browser is used to run JavaScript code (what it is, we are considering). The latter is available in different versions. Not only browsers are used as platforms. Some databases, such as Mongo DB, Couch DB, use JS as a scripting and query language. It includes a small and simple set of commands regarding Java, interpreted by the browser.

Page events can be quickly built using JS, although he is not able to develop desktop applications in the way other languages, such as Java or C ++, for management, can develop.

The features and description of the Java programming language are given below:

1. Interpretation - JS code is executed in the browser, directly depriving the compilation of the code.
2. A client-side scripting language that uses a browser to execute code and does not require interaction with the server. Nevertheless, new versions and frameworks already allow you to create scripts on the server side.
3. Event-based - can run certain code when an event occurs. An event can be any download page or form submission.
4. Applies control over an HTML page by manipulating objects on it.

Primary language differences

About five years ago, the question of how Java differs from JavaScript was easier to answer. Java is a general-purpose language, and JS is inherent in sites for creating animated and interactive elements. Today, everything is much more complicated. Both languages ​​have developed rapidly over the past few years. The Java and JavaScript languages ​​are written, compiled, and executed in different ways, and each of them has major differences when it comes to functionality.

For a better understanding of the issue, we present a comparison table.

Using this table, users will better understand what the difference between Java and JavaScript is.

Browser Compatibility

JavaScript was originally site specific. In its current incarnation, it works on almost all browsers, and some websites use it to improve their user interface. Java applets are only supported to some extent by browsers; their use is small, mainly due to security issues. Most site visitors have JS enabled, and Java applications are disabled by default, especially in mobile browsers. Both languages ​​are compatible with the Java server, for example, in applications like Apache Tomcat, JBoss, and WebSphere.

These servers occupied most of the programs that were viewed on public sites and protected by corporate firewalls. JS has been experimenting on the server side for a while. JS are increasingly using application servers with their own encoding.

Both languages ​​have frameworks and libraries. They offer users access to a target and universal code that can be reused for different products. When used, they significantly reduce development time.

Having studied these arguments, the user may find the answer to the question of what is the difference between Java and JavaScript.

Key differences between modern languages

Languages ​​have improved and evolved over the past ten years. The differences between them also changed. Today you can systematize them in several areas:

1. Style of performance. The key is how they are implemented. Java code is usually written in the IDE and compiled into code launched by the Java virtual machine, but not read by users. JS is implemented in the usual way using its mechanism and syntax. In fact, JS files sent on the Internet are usually compressed to a subtle format. Readability is an important difference because changes to the Java IDE require a number of steps and specialized software to compile and deploy the changes.
2. Community influence. The programming community has had a huge impact on both languages. The Java Community Process is used by Java to accept input about future language inclusion through specification requests. Java's current owner, Oracle, uses these queries to work on the next official language implementation.
3. Writing and Deploying. This is another key difference between Java and JavaScript. Java is designed specifically for developers who write code once and then deploy it to any operating system that they choose, without the need for changes. JS is more susceptible to runtime changes and follows the open ECMAScript standard.
4. Comparing Java and JavaScript as a concept of inheritance. JS does not use classes, but is based on a prototype.
5. Differences in the pedigree. JS has a simpler and smaller instruction set than Java.

Technical gaps

While Java and JS have the same object-oriented approach, the former can stand by itself, and the latter should basically be placed in an HTML document to work. Java is a more complex and wider language, creating standalone applications.

Java applets are fully standalone programs, and JS is text that is processed and interpreted by the browser. However, today's web applications blur the boundaries between conventional desktop applications and those created using conventional web technologies such as CSS, HTML, and JS.

Another key difference is how the language is provided to the end user. Java must be compiled into machine language. JS is text-based, as you can write it to an HTML document, and the document runs directly through a browser without compilation.

Programmers Choice

Java is not dependent on HTML, and JS is almost completely dependent on it. The answer to the question of which language is best suited for the best web applications can vary, with some preferring the JSt on the fly, and some like the wider features and strengths of Java.

One of the strengths of JS is that people can understand it. This greatly simplifies coding and makes the language more reliable. It also gives a huge advantage compared to Java in speed. You can create events and web page elements faster with JS than with Java. Many JavaScript commands are also called event handlers. These commands are directly embedded in existing HTML commands.

Besides ease of use, JavaScript is more forgiving to the programmer than Java. This gives the programmer more freedom in terms of creating objects with its prototype. Meanwhile, Java is more rigid and requires that all classes and instances be defined and denoted. JavaScript also allows you to call existing objects, such as the browser itself or the status bar, and allows you to play only with this part. Java is more focused on where it is needed almost all the time, while JavaScript is focused on web pages.

Educational programs

However, both Java and JS can actually create good pages, and both Java and JS can offer a higher level of contact between the site and the user than is possible using HTML. So, obviously, not one language is superior to another. JavaScript and applets are most often offered as fully functional elements on the Internet. This means that you can simply get and use them on your page if you have the required permission. In fact, there are several sites that specialize in providing applets and JavaScript.

If you want to learn how to implement elements on your web page, you can find many great tutorials and resources on the Internet. JavaScript and HTML tutorials do just that. However, it must be borne in mind that they do not teach how to write languages, but simply show how to place them on a website. This can give a good idea of ​​both formats. After the user learns how Java differs from JavaScript, he will be able to better understand their structures and try to learn more about languages. Perhaps someday he will create his own applets or JavaScript elements.