Java VS JavaScript

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Many people assume that because JavaScript has “Java” in its name they are somehow related, however the word “Java” is their only commonality. There is an industry joke that Java is to JavaScript as ham is to a hamster.

Java

Java was first released in the mid 90’s and several new versions have been launched since then. Today, the internet is heaving with Java-run programming. According to Oracle (current owner of Java), millions of developers are running more than 45 billion Java Virtual Machines (JVM) worldwide.

Java is an independent, object-oriented programming language typically used for all server side development, available almost everywhere. Java applications and programs are compiled and interpreted, they are run on JVMs, opposed to JavaScript which is run on web browsers.

We have Java to thank for many of the applications that make day-to-day living easier including mobile, cloud, desktop, web, gaming, business and scientific to name a few!

JavaScript

JavaScript is reserved for developing client side scripts for functions like validation and interactivity. It was developed in the mid 90’s in just 10 days by Netscape: the company released the programming language that could instruct the computer how to interact with the user based on input received. They called this language “Livescript” and integrated it directly into the navigator. This was then renamed to JavaScript.

JavaScript is interpreted as a scripting language with a plain text code. JavaScript is run on web browsers and relies on CSS and HTML.

JavaScript is used to create responsive, interactive elements for web pages, enhancing the user experience; menus, animations, video players, interactive maps, and simple in-browser games, can all be created quickly and easily with JavaScript. An example of JavaScript that you might use regularly includes the search box on Amazon.

Which is better?

One isn’t necessarily better than the other; programmers use both Java and JavaScript for a variety of different tasks and often used together. In fact, experts say learning both Java and JavaScript is a wise move, offering more varied (and sometimes better) job opportunities in the future.