Why is Java an Ideal Choice for Back-end Development

Java continues to be one of the most important and widely used programming languages in the world. GitHub just ranked Java as the second-most popular programming language among developers. This popularity is well-deserved.

The language is not only the number one Android development language, but it’s also the best choice for back-end web development. Big Tech companies, Fortune 500 businesses, and Java development outsourcing firms all prefer the language for back-end development because of its wide array of benefits.

Java is one of the most popular and easy-to-learn programming languages in the world, allowing companies to quickly find experienced developers. It is also platform-independent, meaning that engineers do not need to write code or rebuild a module for a new operating system.

In addition, the language also has long-term stability and strong institutional support from Oracle, allowing companies to plan for the future with confidence. Finally, Java has a suite of high-quality integrated development environments (IDEs) and libraries that allow developers to save valuable time and increase the quality of the software.

Popularity

GitHub, the world’s leading software developer community, has consistently ranked Java as one of the most popular programming languages in the world. In fact, their annual developer survey has placed Java as the second-most popular programming language among developers for the past five years in a row.

The popularity of the language is a very important benefit today since there is a well-established tech talent shortage that shows no signs of abating.

Today, the unemployment rate for software developers is stuck at just 1.9%, a historically low rate that makes it difficult for even the most well-respected companies to find enough talent to fulfill their tech needs.

Software engineers have hovered at the top of the hardest to fill jobs in the United States list for the top decade — and the numbers suggest this pattern will continue. There are currently an estimated 255,000 open software developer jobs in the United States, but American universities only graduate 50,000 computer science students each year.

Companies that use Java for development have a better chance of finding the right developer for their needs given the sheer number of Java developers out there.

Ease of Use

Java contains a rare combination of benefits. The high-level programming language is incredibly powerful and versatile, yet it uses a simple syntax that closely resembles English and is therefore easy-to-learn. That’s one reason why so many university computer science programs continue to teach Java as a core part of their curriculum, making Java the 2nd-most popular introductory teaching language.

The language also uses a syntax that is similar to C++, making it an easy transition for developers ready to move beyond the C-family of languages. Plus, because it automates memory management and uses garbage collection, it is even simpler to learn than C++.

Java’s ease-of-use is not a coincidence, either. Oracle’s Chief Java architect said that “the core values of the language, and the platform, are readability and simplicity.” The team’s dedication to those principles is evident as soon as a developer begins learning the language.

Platform Independence

Another major benefit associated with Java is the language’s platform independence. This means that code written in the language will work smoothly across a range of devices, no matter what operating system they use. This is important since it prevents duplicate work and simplifies the development process.

Many competing programming languages, like JavaScript and its popular Node.js framework, are not platform-independent. Software engineers writing back-end code in JavaScript must rebuild modules for each new operating system, such as Windows, Mac OS, or Linux.

Java is able to achieve platform independence because it uses a compiler to translate source code into executable code. In essence, the language itself automatically translates the written code into a machine-level language that the computer can understand — thereby removing that particular burden from developers.

Long-Term Stability

Java is not only an extremely popular language with a huge developer community, but it also has the type of institutional support that guarantees stability in the language far into the future.

That’s because Java is supported by Oracle, one of the largest and most well-respected tech companies in the world. The Java development giant continues to support the language regularly and integrate developer feedback into the language.

Recently, the company announced that Java will no longer have “major” releases. Instead, the software will be updated twice a year with fixes and small changes. This announcement signifies the fact that Java is an established language that will remain stable in its present form well into the future.

Superior IDEs

An IDE is an application that streamlines the development process by providing a primary interface for developers to edit or compile code, debug programs, or build time-saving automation tools.

One reason why developers prefer working on Java development projects is because the language’s IDEs make it easier to write programs and to write high-quality code quickly. That’s because they help engineers organize their resources, prevent mistakes, adhere to company standards, and document developer actions.

Some of the most popular Java IDEs are BlueJ, Codenvy, DrJava, and Eclipse. Companies should work with their project managers to select IDEs before the project is launched — ensuring that the team remains on the same page and that everything is documented correctly.

Extensive Library Collection

Java is also well-respected because of the language’s extensive collection of libraries. These valuable tools help developers save time, increase efficiency, and reduce the number of errors in their code.

In particular, libraries can help Java developers reduce the size of their class files and build a cleaner API since internal fields cannot be leaked. Engineers can also test libraries independent of their application, letting them quickly narrow down the cause of errors to the application itself. Finally, libraries are ultra-useful because developers can reuse them for multiple projects.

Developers can select the following classes of libraries in order to save time and increase efficiency: logging, parsing, HTTP, unit testing, and general-purpose libraries.

In Summary

Java is perhaps the best programming language for back-end web development. That’s because the powerful, versatile language comes with a range of benefits that make that type of development simple and predictable.

Fortune 500 companies and Java development services feel comfortable committing to the language because it boasts a large user base, long-term stability, and support from Oracle, one of the most respected tech companies in the world.

Java is also a platform-independent language, allowing developers to write one set of code that will work flawlessly across a variety of operating systems. Finally, it comes with an impressive array of IDEs and libraries that simplify the development process and reduce the burden on developers.