10 Reasons to Learn Java Programming Language and Why Java is Best

 Java is one of the best programming languages created ever, and I am not saying this because I am a passionate Java developer, but Java has proved it in the last 20 years. Two decades is a big time for any Programming language, and Java has gained strength every passing day. Though there are times when Java development slows down, Java has responded well. Earlier with groundbreaking changes in the form of Enum, Generics, and Autoboxing in Java 5, performance improvement with Java 6, functional programming using the lambda expressions in Java 8, and Google's choice of language for Android apps development keeps Java as a front-line programming language.

Many computer science graduates often ask me which is the best programming language to start with? Which language should I learn to begin with? Shall I learn Java? Or shall I start with Python, etc.?

Well, it depends upon the definition of your best programming language; if it's popularity, then obviously Java outscore everyone, even C, which is there for almost 50 years.

If it in terms of Job opportunities, again, Java outscore everyone. You can get tons of Jobs opportunity by learning Java programming language; you can develop core Java-based server-side applications, J2EE web and enterprise applications, and can even go for Android-based mobile application development.

So if you are not coming from C and C++ background and want to learn your first programming language, I will suggest choosing Java.

In this article, I will share my list of reason, and why you should learn Java programming and why I think Java is the best programming language created ever.

Btw, if you have already made your mind on learning Java and just looking for the best resource to start with, then I suggest you join The Complete Java Master Class on Udemy. One of the most up-to-date and comprehensive course to learn Java. It was recently updated for Java 11 as well. 

Why you should learn Java Programming Language

Here is my list of 10 reasons, which I tell anyone who asks my opinion about learning Java, and whether Java is the best programming language in terms of opportunities, development, and community support.

1) Java is Easy to learn

Many would be surprised to see this one of the top reasons for learning Java or considering it as the best programming language, but it is. If you have a steep learning curve, it would be difficult to get productive in a short span of time, which is the case with most of the professional project.

Java has fluent English like syntax with minimum magic characters e.g., Generics angle brackets, which makes it easy to read Java program and learn quickly.

Once a programmer is familiar with initial hurdles with installing JDK and setting up PATH and understand How Classpath works, it's pretty easy to write a program in Java.

2) Java is an Object-Oriented Programming Language

Another reason, which made Java popular is that it's an Object Oriented Programming language. Developing an OOP application is much easier, and it also helps to keep system modular, flexible, and extensible.

Once you have knowledge of crucial OOP concepts like Abstraction, Encapsulation, Polymorphism, and Inheritance, you can use all those with Java. Java itself embodies many best practices and design patterns in its library.

Java is one of the few close to 100% OOP programming languages. Java also promotes the use of SOLID and Object-oriented design principles in the form of open source projects like Spring, which make sure your object dependency is managed well by using the Dependency Injection principle.

3) Java has Rich API

One more reason for Java programming language's huge success is its Rich API, and most importantly, it's highly visible because it comes with Java installation.

When I first started Java programming, I used to code Applets, and those days Applets provides excellent animation capability, which amazes new programmers like us, who are used to code in Turbo C++ editor.

Java provides API for I/O, networking, utilities, XML parsing, database connection, and almost everything. Whatever left is covered by open source libraries like Apache Commons, Google Guava, Jackson, Gson, Apache POI, and others.

You can further see my post 20 essential open source libraries for Java programmers to learn more about useful libraries Java developers should know. 

4) Powerful development tools e.g., Eclipse, Netbeans

Believe it or not, Eclipse and Netbeans have played a huge role in making Java one of the best programming languages. Coding in IDE is a pleasure, especially if you have coded in DOS Editor or Notepad.

They not only help in code completion but also provides a powerful debugging capability, which is essential for real-world development. Integrated Development Environment (IDE) made Java development much more comfortable, faster, and fluent. It's easy to search, refactor, and read code using IDEs.

Apart from IDE, Java platform also has several other tools like Maven and ANT for building Java applications, Jenkins for Continuous Integration and delivery, decompilers, JConsole, Visual VM for monitoring Heap usage, etc.

You can also see my post 10 Essential Tools for Java Programmers to learn more about tools Java programmers use in the day-to-day life.