The Creation of Java

Java is related to C++, which is a direct descendent of C. From C, Java derived its syntax and

from C++ the Object Oriented features.

James Gosling, Patrick Naughton, Chris Warth, Ed Frank,

and Mike Sheridan conceived Java at Sun Microsystems, Inc. in 1991. It took 18 months to develop

the first working version. This language was initially called “Oak” but was renamed “Java” in 1995.

Between the initial implementation of Oak in the fall of 1992 and the public announcement of Java in the

spring of 1995, many more people contributed to the design and evolution of the language. Bill Joy,

Arthur van Hoff, Jonathan Payane, Frank Yellin, and Tim Lindholm were Key contributors to the

maturing of the original prototype. Somewhat surprisingly, the original impetus for java was not the I

nternet! Instead, the primary motivation was the need for a platform-independent (that is, architecture

-neutral) language that could be used to create software to be embedded in various consumer

electronic devices, such as microwave ovens and remote controls. As you can probably guess,

many different types of CPUs are used as controllers

The trouble with C and C++(and most other languages) is that they are designed to be compiled

for a specific target. Although it is possible to compile a C++ program for just about any type of CPU

,

to do so requires a full C++ compiler targeted for that CPU. The problem is that compilers are expensive

and time- consuming to create. An easier - and more cost – efficient – solution was needed. In an

attempt of find such a solution, Gosling and others began work on a portable, platform-independent

language that could be used to produce code that would run on a variety of CPUs under differing

environments. This effort ultimately led to the creation of Java.

Most programmers learn early in their careers that portable programs are as elusive as they are

desirable. While the quest for a way to create efficient, portable (plat form - independent) programs

is nearly as old as the discipline of programming itself, it had taken a back seat to other, more

pressing problems. Further, because much of the computer world had divided itself into the three

competing camps of Intel, Macintosh, and Unix, most programmers stayed within their fortified

boundaries, and the urgent need for portable code was reduced. However, with the advent of the

Internet and the Web, the old problem of portability returned with a vengeance. After all, the Internet

consists of a diverse, distributed universe populated with many types of computers, operating system

s

,

and CPUs. Even though many types of platforms are attached to the Internet, users would like them

all to be able to run the same program. What was once an irritation but low-priority had become a

high-profile necessity.

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