|
Consultant |
Why was Java so successful? |
|---|---|
|
James Duncan Davidson |
I think it comes down to the fact that server-side programming in Perl and the like was inefficient; server-side programming in C and C++ was hard. Java and servlets in particular busted open a door for Java where it could really take root. |
|
Jason Hunter |
It allowed you to do something that couldn't be done in any other way, and that was applets. Applets in and of themselves didn't end up as an important technology, but they provided Java with a protective beachhead where it could initially establish itself without any serious competitors. |
|
Dennis Sosnoski |
Java has a well-designed language and runtime environment. Prior to 1.5, it also had the advantage of being relatively clean and easy to teach. |
|
Stuart Halloway |
It was better than C++. |
|
Richard Monson-Haefel |
Java is a great static object-oriented programming language. It's portable and has loads of APIs, products, and open source projects. It is a well-designed language and virtual machine. Initially, it was a very progressive and well-timed language design. Also, portability was big. Today, it's simply everywhere, which is why it continues to grow in popularity. |
|
Ramnivas Laddad |
Java allowed a widespread and mainstream acceptance of garbage collection and reflection. Although these concepts existed forever, mainstream developers didn't really use them until Java. Also, Java achieved platform independence to a reasonable level. |
Now, you can start to see a clearer picture. From the answers in Table 3-1, several threads emerge:
-
The technical bar for success was not too high. Since so many were developing business applications in C++, which is a systems language, Java needed only to improve on that experience to succeed.
-
The ability to develop enterprise applications was critical. James Duncan Davidson suggests that the central enterprise problem of the time was enabling for the Internet.
-
The technical underpinnings of the language, especially the JVM, represented a significant step forward.
-
The importance of community represents a significant achievement of Java.
-
Applets may have been the killer app that launched Java.
If you compare these comments in 2005 to similar comments made in 1997, you see a few notable differences: Java's exception strategy and static typing may be a hindrance rather than a help; Java's productivity may no longer be as good as it once was; Java has had a bigger impact on the server than on the client; and Java is not as simple as it once was. Still, Java experts remain remarkably consistent in terms of the importance of the JVM, community, Internet development, and improvements over C++.
