Thread: JAVA vs ALL

Good evening everybody.

It's just half past twelve here in Greece. After spending my whole day reading about Antennas & Wireless Spread, as the exams are not so far, I remembered the yesterday conversation that we had with a friend about general programming.

I think he is going to be a web developer and now he's learning C++. We were talking generally about our university and general career opportunities, when suddenly he whispered me the secret(it's a greek phrase, if anyone cannot finf the sense in that sentence). He told that C++ is much more better than JAVA and the struggle has just began.

But, in the end, I ended up -once again- asking myself: Am I right? Did actually JAVA 7 fix all the previous mess?

I guess this question annoys many minds and that was the reason to begin this thread.

I eagerly wait your responses about JAVA's current benefits and anything you think makes JAVA special or even weak.

The benefit of java is:
-Could be easy implemented in webpage;
-Fast compilation
-No istalation and thus fast starting up
-mutiplatform

but general C++ and C# are faster, this is because of
The java code talks to the JRE and then to windows
(Java app --> JRE --> windows)
instead C++ goes direct to windows
(.exe --> windows)

that is the basic

So, we badly cooperate with JAVA, instead of C++ or C# ?

Still java is pretty good and for a wider audionce because of its multi platform.
And its really good for web applications because they are easily intergrated.

general C++ and C# are faster, this is because of
The java code talks to the JRE and then to windows

I'm no expert but this needs a few qualifications.

First speed depends on what the programming is doing. If it is interacting with resources on the internet that will be the bottle neck. (and if it's interacting with user input that bottle neck will be 1000x smaller/slower.) In such a case you could use an interpreted language for all that it would matter. At the other end of the spectrum you might require intensive computation that goes as fast as it can, and native code is the way to go. But, even then, native code can be called within Java, so it's still not a matter of "this language is faster than that".

Another thing to bear in mind is that "speed" is not a thing that can be measured solely by the user's wall clock. Programs have to be developed, and maintained. And there is the speed (ease/cost) associated with the development and maintenance. Java may or may not be the way to go (I don't know enough to say and, anyway, it's case specific) but it's a factor to be considered especially when cross platform deployment is desired.

Beware of comparing the runtime performance of good C# code with bad Java code. Java's earlier start means there is plenty of truly awful Swing code about. (Again, I'm not knowledgeable and am not a Java fanboy, so for all I know C# is just plain easier to develop in than Java for Windows gui apps. My point is that the comparison of development time and runtime speed should be between well written C# and Swing apps. And it really should be a comparison and not a retelling of urban legends.)

Next, the fact that Java code is compiled to byte code and then, at runtime, that byte code gets converted into instructions executed by the CPU does not necessarily mean that the resulting program is slower than one where the compiler generates the instructions directly. The point is subtle but sometimes the CPU instructions that are most efficient for a given task depend on the context within which the task is being performed. So-called "ahead of time" compilers have no way of taking this context into account while languages supporting "just in time" compilation constantly adapt to what the running program is doing to produce CPU instructions that are the most appropriate.

Anyway, even if we are down from other languages, I will continue learning JAVA until being great at this language, because it seems much easier to me than C++, for example(overloading + or -? lol). And despite all the above, J2EE is very useful for a career as a developer.

Originally Posted by theo75

And despite all the above, J2EE is very useful for a career as a developer.

That's true. A side note, if I were interested in a career as a software engineer in Greece, I would definitely spent time learning C# and the .NET framework since it is very very popular in enterprise development in our country.

Originally Posted by andreas90

if I were interested in a career as a software engineer in Greece

I didn't say that because I would like to make such a career(i also don't absolutely reject it hah), but as a JAVA plus benefit. What you said about c# also is correct, as in our country, talking about software engineering, I always see that C# and JAVA is needed.

Είσαι και παλιός εδώ μέσα απ' ότι βλέπω ρε andrews. Ωραίος.

Καλωσήρθες! Ψάχνω καιρό για Έλληνα στο φορουμ. Και ό,τι θες στείλε και προσωπικό μήνυμα αν μπορώ να βοηθήσω, αν και υπάρχουν πολύ πιο καταρτισμένα άτομα από μένα και σίγουρα μπορούν να βοηθήσουν περισσότερο.

Να 'σαι καλά ρε andrews. Πιθανόν να σε ενοχλήσω σύντομα, καθώς έχω ένα δυνατό -για τον καιρό που ασχολούμαι με τη γλώσσα- project. Καλώς σας βρήκα, λοιπόν.