Languages come and go, but why is Java still so popular after all these years? As developers are well aware, Java provides an unrivaled combination of speed, productivity, and observability.
It’s just as vital for CTOs to keep up with Java trends as it is for engineers. While a slew of polls (including ours) will be released in the coming months with data on these patterns, there are plenty of reliable forecasts.
In 2021, Java had a big year with the release of Java 17, which saw sealed classes become a standard part of the language and the Security Manager JEP become obsolete. The arrival of Java 17 marks the start of another two-year wait for the next LTS release. Meanwhile, the Java community is continually iterating, with several JEPs for Java 18 already planned.
The Java programming language is a standardized, object-oriented language that enables developers to create robust, high-performance applications. Java is platform-independent, meaning that applications written in Java can run on any device that has a Java virtual machine (JVM), regardless of the operating system.Because of all these features freshers and experienced software professionals will choose java to code. Freshers can take help from these  Java Basic Programs and get into software development field.
Our experts discuss their predictions for Java trends in 2022 in this blog, which includes both Java and its accompanying development technologies.
About Java
In 1995, James Gosling created Java. It was originally intended for interactive television. However, because the technology was too advanced at the time, it was instead employed for Internet programming.Java basically run on 4 important concept such as java polymorphism ,Abstraction,Encapsulation and Java Inheritance.
The following are the essential traits that distinguish Java as one of the best programming languages:
- Simple
- Robust
- Secured
- Platform-independent
- Object-oriented
- Dynamic
Advantages
- Platform-Independent: Independent of the platform. Java code can be run on any computer that supports the Java Virtual Machine.
- Multithreading: The smallest unit of a process is referred to as a thread. As a result, multithreading means that multiple threads can run at the same time. The performance and efficiency of a program can be improved by using many threads that run independently of one another.
- It’s well-suited to distributed computing. This concept describes how a group of machines on a network collaborate. It allows developers to create network-based apps that contribute to data and app functionality.
Disadvantages
- Performance is slower. When we compare Java to other popular programming languages like C++ or C, we can see that it is significantly slower.
- There is no provision for a backup. Because Java is primarily concerned with storage, it is not focused on data backup. This is a major disadvantage. It causes programmers to abandon Java in favor of other platforms. One of the most apparent features in current programming languages is the transfer of knowledge.
- The complexity of the code. Java code can be excessively verbose. It contains many long and complex sentences that can be difficult to read and comprehend.
Area of implementation
Java is regarded as one of the most popular web programming languages. Other examples of how this technology is used include: Trading apps; mobile applications; big data technology; software tools
Java Trends in 2022
In terms of popularity and usage, Python has lately surpassed Java. According to Tiobe’s freshly updated rankings for December 2021, Python’s programming language has surpassed many other languages, including Java, JavaScript, and C, as the most popular programming language. Tiobe is a search engine that generates results based on online searches.
1. Increased Adoption of Java 17
While greater adoption of a new LTS Java version may appear to be a safe bet, LTS version uptake beyond Java 8 has proven disappointing.
Although Java 11 has seen considerable acceptance, according to our annual Java Developer Productivity surveys, Java 8 remains the most widely used Java version.
2. VS Code Adoption
Another intriguing trend we’ve noticed in recent years is the rise in popularity of VSCode, a polyglottal IDE. In our 2020 Java developer productivity survey, 10% of respondents said they used Visual Studio Code, whereas 27% said they used it in 2021.
Despite the fact that the survey data comes from a variety of sources, the growth is nevertheless significant.
3. Alternative Spring Boots Keep gaining momentum
Spring and Spring Boot are still the most popular frameworks in Java today. Other frameworks, like Micronaut and Quarkus, are giving Spring a run for their money, especially when it comes to microservice-specific frameworks.
4. Decreased Adoption of Non-LTS Java Versions
Non-LTS Java versions have never seen the same level of adoption as their LTS counterparts. However, anticipated changes to the Java release cadence and LTS timetable are likely to further reduce adoption.
Check out this Java Basic Programs course to get started with Java.
8 Reasons why Java is still relevant
- Fundamental utility
Why is Java still so popular over 30 years after its inception? Java is a well-rounded programming language with a large library of libraries that can be utilized to address difficult programming challenges.
Java provides an unrivaled blend of speed, productivity, and observability. It’s the best solution for applications that demand excellent performance and security, as well as long-term maintenance and a large developer base with in-depth platform knowledge.
Java was created from the ground up to be a user-friendly language capable of solving difficult issues in a highly networked environment, which is exactly what current enterprise systems demand.
2. The Chinese market
In China, 99 percent of consumers prefer to access the internet via a mobile phone, which is almost always powered by Java.
Because China’s internet was late to develop, consumers were more likely to surf on a smartphone rather than a desktop. Android devices account for over 80% of China’s mobile device market, with iOS devices accounting for around 20%. According to Trendforce, those percentages are unlikely to alter considerably in 2022.
Android is a mobile operating system based on Google’s Java programming language. The demand for Android apps in China alone will provide a steady supply of Java developers in the next years.
3. Cloud-native compatibility
Java has proven to be a potent force for server-side computing thanks to popular APIs like the Servlet and JavaServer Page standard, or JSF. Java has become pervasive in the mobile industry due to the popularity of Android and the Java Virtual Machine-based languages that underpin it. Java is the appropriate choice for developing microservices as organisations shift SOA-based applications to the cloud, thanks to a range of sophisticated cloud-native frameworks like Spring Boot and the Eclipse MicroProfile.
For organizations to provision and manage the lifecycles of their cloud-based resources, all of the major cloud computing providers — Amazon, Azure, Alibaba, Oracle, and Google — provide Java-based SDKs. Furthermore, Java frameworks such as Spring, Vaadin, and Eclipse enable businesses to build cloud-native applications that adhere to the 12-Factor App’s tenets by default.
Many firms have made significant investments in the JVM and have seen success with Java on both the client and server sides. As businesses migrate their apps to the cloud, it makes sense for them to continue to invest in Java.
4. Ongoing enhancements
Java is a mature, full-featured programming language with a six-month release cycle. Developers won’t have to wait long to try out Java’s newest features.
Java 17 was released in September 2021, marking the first long-term support release since Java 11. Developers can use new language capabilities like Java records to innovate, or they can use enhanced garbage collectors to increase application performance.
5. Backward compatibility
While Java evolves, the language’s stewards work hard to ensure that code produced today compiles into bytecode that will operate on a server built-in 2005.
Java’s dedication to backward compatibility gives architects and designers peace of mind when deciding on a language that will meet their organization’s long-term goals. This is particularly true for major company initiatives that can be maintained and adjusted for years and years.
The aim to maintain backward compatibility often slows the addition of new features to the language, resulting in the Java language being criticized as being too slow to progress. Most businesses, on the other hand, are content with the trade-off between cautious feature enhancement and rapid evolution.
Few languages have remained popular for more than 30 years. But, as long as Java continues to evolve, be adopted, and prove itself as an effective language for development on a number of different programming fronts, there’s no reason to believe it won’t be a dominant force in software development for another 30 years or more.
Top 5 Brands who still used Java
Many of Google’s products are written in Java. Backend programming in particular, but also user interface development. Take, for example, Google Docs, a document management programme that works similarly to Microsoft Word.
Changes are automatically kept here, and if you’re authorised with Google on your devices, you may access a document and work on it without ever downloading it. As a consequence, mobile applications may be developed using the Java programming language. The Oracle Corporation, which owns Java, is at odds with Google over the usage of Java in Android.
Uber
For Uber apps, Java, along with Python, Node.js, and Go, is one of the most significant technologies. According to the developers, they chose Java because of its great performance, which is one of the language’s primary characteristics.
Java has the upper hand in the open-source environment since it integrates with other technologies such as Hadoop and a variety of other tools. Java was utilised as the main language for the Android OS in the creation of Uber’s mobile app, and there are no plans to switch to another language.
Airbnb
Airbnb is another fantastic Java-based platform. The most secure programming language is Java. A programming language with a better structure, as we all know, is more suitable for developers. Java still has the most frameworks accessible today, even when compared to Python.
The majority of Pinterest’s code is written in Java. Most significant Indian enterprises, such as Infosys, TCS, Wipro, and HCL Tech, as well as product companies like Naukri, Jaboong, Myntra, Flipkart, Trivago, ibibo, TripAdvisor, and others, continue to use Java.
eBay
Because eBay is based on Java, which is a heavily typed static language, it was initially difficult to persuade people to utilize JavaScript on the backend. eBay is powered by a Java-based technology stack.
Job opportunities for Java developers
Java programmers are always in great demand. Top IT firms like- TCS, Accenture, etc are on the lookout for talented engineers with Java experience. India’s second-largest IT company- Infosys, is looking for Java developers in Bengaluru. Wipro, an IT juggernaut, is looking for Java developers as well. Java developers are needed for the following positions at Capgemini, a French worldwide IT services organization.
Final Thoughts
Because Java is a well-established language that has been developed over many years, it will continue to be utilized in the future. It’s also a very powerful language that can take on any task you give it.
Java’s sole significant flaw is that it grows bloated with time and can consume a lot of memory, making it slower than other languages. For most individuals, though, this isn’t an issue because they don’t need to do anything with their computers that require a lot of computing power.
Because of its high performance and stability, Core Java will be employed in the future. This implies that if you use it on a daily basis and don’t mind doing little extra work now and then to keep things going well, you won’t have any issues.
Predicting Java’s future isn’t an exact science. Changes within the language, within the supporting ecosystem, or within the development at large can change the landscape overnight.
If you like our educational content like this, share it with your friends and stay tuned for more educational content like this. Keep learning!
