Is Java dead?

[rootaxs]

Just when i started to get into the light of things (E.g. started learning Java based on good comments about it on this board a while back) i hear from some people that Java is "practically dead as a programming language". Is this true?

To those programming gurus here at AT, what can you say about Java? Am i wasting my time with it?

Any comment is gladly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[gittyup]

I would highly dis-agree. Java is really in its infancy as a 4GL language...

 

[rootaxs]

gittyup, i figured the same... but everyone else's reasoning is that Java failed to deliver on it's promise of making OS's obsolete (taken out of context from what i've been hearing).

in your honest opinion, what makes Java a good language aside from building on C++ failures?

 

[gittyup]

Compile once and run anywhere!

 

[coder1]

Java is not dead, I use it all the time, But in my humble opinion it does not meet up to its hype. "Compile once, run anywhere" Is not always true. I have tested this on many machines and the results always differ. I think its a very elegant language, but it's not the "End all" language, And don't get me started about Sun and the standards committee. Thats another can of worms

 

[rootaxs]

Well i have to agree that the "compile once, run everywhere" is a little bit too hyped but it's getting there. So aside from those applets used online to rotate banners and such what other "important" applications is Java good for?

By the way, i've been reading up on A Beginners Guide to Java 2 and Idiot's Guide to Java 2, so far i've been able to grasp the basics. Any suggestions on how to go about the rest of the learning process? I was thinking of getting the Beginning Java 2 book from Wrox which goes into more detail about processes - i figured this is the least i should know to get started on programming with Java.

Thanks.

 

[spwango]

Java is not dead! No way. However, the realization has come that it is not acceptable at this time as a client side programming solution--blame this on Sun, blame it on MS, whatever. The real power is Java is on the server side. Current servlet and JSP engines like Tomcat are still very young...when the technology really gets hammered out (how long has C++ been around now?), Java will be *the* server side solution

spwango