Java Language History

The cluster discusses Java's origins in the 1990s, its design choices influenced by C++ and contemporaries like Smalltalk, slow adoption of features, and historical context compared to newer languages like Go.

📉 Falling 0.5x Programming Languages
2,875
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#88
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
2
2008
24
2009
57
2010
72
2011
102
2012
91
2013
88
2014
145
2015
149
2016
128
2017
182
2018
173
2019
192
2020
220
2021
267
2022
282
2023
263
2024
192
2025
236
2026
10

Keywords

MS GC IMO JIT NET STL AOT CDC OOP BTW java jvm language smalltalk languages designed sun lisp haskell adopted

Sample Comments

rurban Mar 19, 2022 View on HN

it is. it was the better java those times, but didn't have such a big backing as from Sun.

pjmlp Jan 17, 2022 View on HN

Why Java given the history of programming languages between 1950 and 1996?

ptero Sep 15, 2016 View on HN

Probably. But Java, growing up as a language at this time, was IMO influenced by this fad more than other (older or newer) languages.

nradov Dec 25, 2024 View on HN

The criticisms of Java syntax are somewhat fair, but it's important to understand the historical context. It was first designed in 1995 and intended to be an easy transition for C++ programmers (minimal cognitive load). In an alternate history where James Gosling and his colleagues designed Java "better" then it would have never been widely adopted and ended up as a mere curiosity like Common Lisp is today. Sometimes you have to meet your customers where they are.It has taken a

Rexxar Mar 24, 2024 View on HN

It was like that with java too in 2000/2010

DrBazza Apr 16, 2021 View on HN

Don't forget that Java first appeared in the late 90s and is a language of its time. That's not say that it hasn't evolved, but many of the decisions and choices were of that era.

vbezhenar Dec 22, 2022 View on HN

Those are not industry languages and Java was known to borrow only well developed and widely adopted features. For example it took like 20 years to add lambdas which were in lisp 60 years ago. Checked exceptions are a sore exception to this rule.

adamnemecek Apr 27, 2014 View on HN

You do realize that Java has had like a 15 year head start right?

asteroidp Mar 25, 2022 View on HN

Java has needed that since day one of it's release

V-2 Oct 11, 2021 View on HN

When Java was created, this wasn't a factor to consider yet