Are JavaScript and Java the same?
Are you wondering what the differences are between Java and JavaScript and you want to avoid any more confusion?
In this article, we’ll reveal everything!
Java and JavaScript (or JS) are two different programming languages. As a neophyte, we can say that “Java” is the diminutive of “JavaScript”, but not at all. It would be like saying that “cat” is the diminutive of “castle”.
Their common point: they are both languages derived from another language: the C language.
Java and JavaScript therefore have the same structure. However, they are very different in their operation and use.
What kind of language is Java?
Officially introduced in 1995 at SunWorld, Java is a programming language that was created by two of Sun Microsystems employees (James Gosling and Patrick Naughton). Java is now owned by Oracle, which bought Sun in 2009.
Java is a language that must be compiled: it must go through the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) before being interpreted by the “machine”.
What kind of language is JavaScript?
Created in just 10 days by Brendan Eich in 1995 for Netscape Communications Corporation, JavaScript is a language that has been inspired by several other languages, including Java.
Since 1997, JavaScript has become a registered trademark of Oracle. Yes, he too.
JavaScript is said to be an interpreted language because it is directly read and translated as the program runs. JavaScript is mainly used through web browsers though in recent years, it tends to be used outside Firefox, Chrome or Safari to name a few.
Are JavaScript and Java the same?
What are the main differences between Java and JavaScript?
Putting aside their language “types” and the fact that JavaScript is not part of the Java platform, we can add other notable differences between these two languages:
Java / JavaScript: typing
JavaScript has weak typing while Java has a strong typing.
Tying a variable consists of identifying the type of data that the variable contains: a string, an integer or comma number, a Boolean (data used to indicate a true or false state) etc.
Java / JavaScript: different uses and purposes
These two languages were not originally used for the same reasons or purposes even though the advent of nodejs has increased the use areas of JavaScript.
JavaScript was originally geared towards the web and recommended for websites apps. This language, historically considered more “creative”, was therefore dedicated to the development of so-called front end applications and has been expanding for several years.
It is difficult in this day and age not to gain interest in JavaScript because of its popularity and also because of the large number of frameworks and libraries that seem to make it more complex at first glance.
Since the arrival of NodeJS, JavaScript has enabled the development of server-side applications dedicated to back-end development. This new strength of JavaScript, combined with the diversity of front-end frameworks, is the origin of the boom that JavaScript has been experiencing in recent years.
To cite a few examples, applications such as Netflix, Discord, Airbnb, Tesla, BBC or PayPal are coded in JS!
Java on the other hand, is a programming language that was originally used for embedded applications. That is, devices that are not considered computers with limited resources (memory, hard disk), such as tablets, on-board computers, etc. Renowned for its reliability, it was also quickly used for server applications requiring high reliability – payment servers for example.
Amazon, Facebook, eBay, or LinkedIn, as well as other big names have used or are still using Java. It is also considered the native language of Android mobile apps and offers many features and options, broader than other languages for this type of deployments.
Just like JavaScript, to facilitate development with Java, there are different frameworks based on this language. Java Enterprise Edition, commonly named JEE (J two E), recently supplanted by its evolution Jakarta Edition is the best known. But it tends to be used less and less in companies for the creation of new projects by Spring which greatly facilitates the development of monolithic web applications or for the deployment of REST API servers.
Can I use Java and Javascript at the same time?
Because Java allows developers to create classic web applications, it has always been possible to use JavaScript to beautify the application and make it more dynamic. In a more contemporary approach, it is also commonplace to see a front-end application in JavaScript come to consume data delivered by a Rest API server coded in Java. A very common duo is that of Java with Spring and Angular.
Then… Why use the term “Java” in JavaScript if these two languages have nothing similar except to be inherited from the C language?
Initially, JavaScript was called LiveScript. Its name has been changed to JavaScript. Perhaps to take advantage of the notoriety of the Java language? Who knows!
Note that another language has emerged for some time: TypeScript.
It is a derivative of JavaScript, which on the other hand must be “transpiled”, that is to say transformed into JavaScript in order to be interpreted. Its advantage is that it is strongly typed. It can be considered as at the crossroads of the 2 programming languages presented in this article: Java & JavaScript. It aims to take the best of both languages.
what are the differences between Java and JavaScript?
As you will have understood, Java and JavaScript, mainly share their common origin from the C language but like many other programming languages. They each have their own interests and disadvantages that everyone will know how to defend or incriminate.
Anyway, in programming languages as in languages, we can’t say one is better than the other, it all depends on what you have to say!
We hope that this article has finally shed light on this dark side of Java and JavaScript.