Java is loved, hated, defended, and criticized. "Write once, run everywhere." From GPS modules and MP3 players to complete virtual universes, Java achieved much more than we could have imagined in these last 25 years. In May it had its birthday, and the folks at Oracle decided to celebrate it with a list exploring the best 25 Java applications. Would you like to see?
I admit that my relationship with Java has historically been poor, due to performance and security issues. But my personal failures are just a drop in a huge ocean of successes. Some projects simply wouldn't have existed without a language like Java, prioritizing aspects such as portability and architectural neutrality.
A Quarter Century of Java
James Gosling, Mike Sheridan, and Patrick Naughton took the first steps in June 1991, but the first public release took place in May 1995. That's right: Java is 25 years old, and if we consider its popularity, it's very likely to add another 25. Oracle decided to celebrate the language with a list focused on the "best 25 Java applications", and it contains many details we didn't know.
Java and NASA: A Close Relationship
The Maestro Science Activity Planner from JPL was made in Java, as well as the NASA WorldWind SDK, JMARS, and JMoon. The article explains that James Gosling spent so much time at JPL that he became an advisory member.
Wikipedia is definitely an abundant source, but its search engine has a lot of Java in its essence. Another case worth mentioning is Hadoop, whose framework was written in Java (with some bits in C).
Java's Star: Minecraft
However, the star of the list published by Oracle is none other than Minecraft. One of the most successful projects in Java's history is a video game, and there's nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, with more than 200 million copies sold across dozens of platforms, Minecraft took Java's main advantages and made them its own.
If you have programmed or program in Java, if you have interest in the language, or if you want to know if one of your favorite tools is part of the complete list, we definitely recommend visiting the original article. Link below.
Source: Oracle
