Lesson 2: Java Overview

Vocabulary flashcards covering the basics of Java, its historical development, application types, and popular Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) based on Lesson 2 of DCIT 50.

Java

A programming language and computing platform developed by Sun Microsystems in 1995 and maintained by Oracle Corporation, used to write code that runs across various devices without being rewritten.

Oak

The original name of the Java project started in 1991 by James Gosling, Mike Sheridan, and Patrick Naughton at Sun Microsystems, initially targeted at consumer electronics.

WORA

An acronym standing for 'WRITE ONCE, RUN ANYWHERE', describing Java's ability to run compiled code on any device equipped with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

Java Virtual Machine (JVM)

The technology that enables Java's cross-platform portability, allowing Java programs to execute on various operating systems without code modification.

Java 1.0

The initial official release of Java in 1995, which featured Applets for use inside web browsers.

Java 2 (J2SE 1.2)

A 1998 Java release that significantly increased language capability by introducing Swing and Collections.

Java 5

A 2004 Java release (originally named J2SE 1.5) that added key features such as Generics, Enums, and Annotations.

Java 6

Also known as Java SE 6, released in December 2006 by Sun Microsystems with internal version number 1.6.

Project Jigsaw

The module system introduced into the Java platform with the release of Java 9 in 2017.

Long-Term Support (LTS)

A release designation given to major stable versions of Java intended for enterprise stability, such as Java 17 in 2021.

Desktop Application

A standalone Java program featuring graphical user interfaces (GUIs) created using toolkits like Swing or JavaFX.

Web Application

A dynamic website or server-side system developed using Java technologies such as Servlets, JSP, and the Spring framework.

Mobile Application

An application developed for mobile operating systems, primarily Android using the Android SDK with Java.

Enterprise Application

A large-scale, secure, and scalable business system, such as banking platforms and ERP software, powered by Java EE or Spring.

Scientific Application

A computational tool written in Java for research and scientific needs that demand high-performance computing and precise calculations.

Embedded Application

Software designed to run on small, low-powered hardware devices like smart cards and sensors using Java ME (Micro Edition).

Cloud-Based Application

A scalable and flexible Java application created to run on cloud computing platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

Distributed Application

A system whose components communicate across a network using Java technologies such as Remote Method Invocation (RMI) and Spring Cloud.

Java IDE

An Integrated Development Environment providing tools like code editors with syntax highlighting, debuggers, compilers & build tools, project management, and version control integration.

IntelliJ IDEA

A Java IDE developed by JetBrains known for smart code completion, refactoring, and integration with frameworks like Spring and Hibernate, offered in Community and Ultimate versions.

Eclipse

An open-source, plugin-extensible Java IDE heavily utilized in academic institutions and enterprise development for Java EE and Android.

NetBeans

The official open-source IDE supported by the Apache Foundation, known for ease of use across Java SE, Java EE, and JavaFX in education and beginner environments.

BlueJ

An IDE tailored for students and beginners that utilizes visual class structures to teach core Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts.

JDeveloper

An IDE created by Oracle optimized specifically for building enterprise Java applications integrated with Oracle technologies.