Due to the similar word, ‘Java’ in both programming languages, there is a misconception that Java and Javascript are similar, whereas they are not. When Javascript was introduced, Java used to be a very popular programming language. Javascript was a scripting language and to make it renowned, the name Java was used with it. However, Java and Javascript are different with respect to their characteristics.
No programming language is good or bad. It is chosen based on the nature of the real-world problem that you are going to solve. This article, Java vs Javascript will highlight the features and capabilities of both programming languages along with their use-cases.
Java and Javascript Similarities
Both programming languages offer an array of libraries and frameworks that help programmers build robust and state-of-the-art mobile and website applications. The solutions developed using these languages meet the demand of the modern world. When it comes to the development of both front-end and back-end system modules, Java and Javascript serve the ultimate purpose. Java is suitable for the back-end or server-side and Javascript is for the back-end or client-side system development.
Java - Application Development
Java is purely object-oriented programming. It uses Java Virtual Machine (JVM) for the compilation and execution of the code. The IDEs support the language with various capabilities that make it possible to write highly optimized code. Java checks the program to determine errors at the compilation phase and ultimately removes them.
Features of Java:
- Java is suitable for application development.
- An established platform such as Android Studio is used for mobile app development.
- It provides access to a wide range of libraries and frameworks that make applications highly secure and scalable.
- For web development, Java is used at the industrial level.
- The advent of Big Data Analytics also uses the power of the Java programming language that ultimately helps streamline the development process.
Javascript - Script Creation
It is a scripting language for the object-oriented programming language. It complies as well as executes in the browser. The script is checked during the execution phase to make sure the code is free of errors or needs changes.
Javascript is used for website development and the creation of scripts. It is used in the development of single-page applications (SPAs) and for mobile app development. It is used with other programming frameworks such as ‘PhoneGap’ and ‘React Native’ that enhance the capabilities and allow more features to be embedded in the application.
Features of Javascript:
- It plays a critical role in optimizing the user-side of applications.
- It acts as a tool for developing interactive applications and streamlining front-end development.
- The code is easy to read.
- Javascript is embedded in HTML documents and gives a high level of interactivity to the web page.
Java and Javascript Comparison
Other differences between Java and Javascript include:
- There is a significant difference between Java and Javascript syntax.
- Java is an OOP programming language and Javascript is a scripting language.
- Java is used for client-side, whereas Javascript is used for server-side development.
- Java has a complex syntax as compared to Javascript that is easy to read.
- Java runs on the virtual machine as well as on the browser whereas Javascript only runs on the browser.
- They both require different frameworks and plugins.
- Java is a strongly typed programming language as compared to Javascript.
- The file extension of Java is “.Java” whereas that of Javascript is “.js”.
- Java programs use more memory as compared to Javascript.
- Java supports multithreading whereas Javascript does not.
- Java is stored as byte code and Javascript as source text on the host machine.
- One basic difference between Java and Javascript is that Javascript does not create stand-alone applications but Java does.
Java and Javascript are used at the industrial level. There are many frameworks that connect both to increase their capabilities for enterprise-level mobile and website applications. Since they were introduced, both programming languages have gained popularity in the tech world due to their contribution to top-tier IT projects.