• who@feddit.org
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    4 days ago

    I attribute Java’s uptake to a large amount of marketing and support, which led to a massive ecosystem. Even a mediocre language like this one can find success when propped up like that.

    • magic_lobster_party@fedia.io
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      4 days ago

      OOP was hype during the 90s. Schools adapted their curriculum to this trend. So they needed a programming language for this, and Java became the choice. C++ is too tricky as a first language.

      The result is that a lot of people knew Java, which means it’s a good choice of language if you want to recruit programmers.

      I believe most of Java’s success was luck. It released at the perfect time.

      • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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        3 days ago

        You don’t think the $500 million marketing budget Sun put towards Java has anything to do with its success? It was more than just luck.

        • magic_lobster_party@fedia.io
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          3 days ago

          I don’t think the $500 million marketing budget would’ve worked if Java was introduced at a time other than the 90s.

          The 80s would’ve been too early. It would just turn into a parenthesis in programming language history (next to smalltalk). The 00s would’ve been too late. It would’ve missed the dotcom bubble boat. Java came in the right time to become a dominant programming language.

          I’m not saying the marketing didn’t have any influence. It probably had an big influence in which OOP language was selected for computer science education.

    • hex123456@sh.itjust.works
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      4 days ago

      Java was the new hotness when I was in the middle of my comp sci degree. The biggest benefit I found was javadocs. Other languages had shit documentation that usually didn’t match reality in comparison.

      • pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip
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        3 days ago

        Yes. JavaDoc was/is good.

        There, I said something nice about Java. I’m giving myself a gold star, and going to stop typing.

    • rottingleaf@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      JVM isn’t mediocre. Really-really.

      I don’t like something aesthetically about Java, can’t quite nail what, and don’t like long-long namespace strings, but these are my personal limitations.

      Ah. I also don’t like OOP.

    • PushButton@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      I am going to be decapitated for this, but you’re totally right.

      You only have to look at Rust. An horrible language with a massive hype machine and an army of zealots pushing it everywhere.

      I can’t understand how people are complaining about the java boiler plate and its verbosity, while promoting Rust every time they can.