Java and JavaScript are two programming languages that are widely used. It’s impossible not to stumble across the terms if you have even a passing interest in coding. They are, however, readily confused. Some people mistakenly believe that Java is just a reduced form of JavaScript. Despite certain similarities, these two languages operate in completely distinct ways. So, in this guide, we’ll look at how to tell the difference between Java and JavaScript.

JavaScript vs. Java

The fundamental difference between Java and JavaScript, according to the official website of the Java platform, is that Java is an OOP programming language, whereas JavaScript is an OOP programming script. JavaScript code is entirely written in text and only needs to be interpreted. Java, on the other hand, needs to be built before it can be used.

They can also be utilized for a variety of purposes. Java is used to create apps for mobile devices and browsers, but JavaScript is mostly utilized in HTML texts and browsers. To use Java and JavaScript, certain plug-ins are required.
Java

Java has long been a go-to language for integrating traditional enterprise systems to highly dynamic web interfaces, and it has a wide range of applications in the business world. Many big corporations support it, and it is heavily used in their stack. Among the companies that use Java are:

Airbnb’s backend work is mostly done in Java.

Many of Google’s applications, including the Web Toolkit, Android-based apps, and Gmail, employ Java.
Uber is a Java-based company that routinely hires Java developers.
One of the first big payment platforms to use Java was Paypal. They’ve started rebuilding their platform with JavaScript, but there’s still a lot of Java in there.
Tesla employs a variety of programming languages, however prospective applicants must have a working grasp of Java.
Twitter’s digital interface is made possible via Java.
Java was used to create Minecraft, a popular video game.
NASA’s maintenance and observation software is written in Java.
Spotify mostly employs Python, although their backend work includes a significant amount of Java.

JavaScript

JavaScript looks to be a natural disruptor, as it emerges in a variety of areas. While JavaScript was designed to meet the needs of client-side applications in a browser, it has now made its way to the server and desktop via NodeJS and is obviously here to stay. Excellent user interface frameworks, such as AngularJS, can function in tandem with any back-end solution.

There are a slew of mobile hybrid application frameworks on the market. They’re cross-platform, so they’ll run on a variety of mobile devices without needing to be recompiled. They have the same appearance and feel as native apps and work with accelerometers, touch screens, and the rest of the technology on mobile devices. JavaScript is used by a variety of game engines, including Kiwi and Bablyno, to personalize their gameplay.

From the Developer’s Point of View Compiled vs. Interpreted

Compilable languages, such as Java, check the code of an entire project while optimizing and turning scribbles into byte code that can subsequently be read by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). It detects a fair number of syntactical mistakes and notifies coders about them at compile time.

In the case of a web application, the coder then works with a compressed package of byte codes called a Java Archive (JAR) or a Web Archive (WAR). This package can then be opened, loaded in memory, found an entry point, and brought to life on someone’s desktop or server by a virtual machine or a web container. This does not prevent you from committing logical programming errors, but it does provide you the opportunity to remedy all syntactical issues straight away.

Many compiled languages additionally address the issue of intellectual property security. Although Java compilation does not inherently secure your code from decompilation, there are strategies to safeguard your output that may be found in a variety of online publications.

Interpreted languages, such as JavaScript, read and interpret your source code in real time. The performance hit from the activity of interpretation is barely noticeable because interpreters have grown so rapid and forceful.

On the one hand, it allows for a variety of “innovative” solutions and dynamic code alterations. On the other hand, it encourages a culture of “duct taping,” creative code, and esoteric solutions. To construct and sustain huge JavaScript projects, you’ll need a lot of organizational culture and discipline.

There is no good technique to make your code both executable and inaccessible in terms of intellectual property security. There are obfuscation tools such as “minifiers,” “uglyfiers,” and others, but none of them will distort your code sufficiently to make it unreadable in the end. It’s because the interpreter needs to be able to read your code as it’s being executed. The obfuscation package can remove all spaces, carriage returns, and tabs, and generally make it look like a jumble; nonetheless, it must retain many original elements.

Dynamically Typed vs. Strongly Typed

Java encapsulates all of its variables in a single type. When you create a variable of a set primitive type or declare an object of that type, that variable is locked into its identity. If there are any mismatches, you won’t be able to run your code until the problem is resolved. This constraint forces excellent coding skills and requires that all Java projects’ intents be in sync.

One disadvantage of this language characteristic is that strong typing is associated with a lot of pomp and circumstance. Because each object’s new public methods and properties must be part of a public interface, these features must frequently be declared throughout the inheritance tree. This makes the extension of numerous object definitions during the development process more difficult. It makes prototyping more difficult and may delay quick development in the early stages of product development.

You can build towns in the sky while you float through the air thanks to dynamic typing, which is available in JavaScript. Variables, data structures, objects, functions, and arrays can all be defined in line, right where they’re needed. This results in some shaky-looking code, but it allows everything to be placed in place at the same time. Within your context, you get to specify the structure of an object.

The main disadvantage of dynamic type is the lack of assurance about what your variable contains at any one time. You won’t notice if you assign the erroneous content to a variable someplace else in the code until a ridiculous line is actually executed. Only when you try to execute “open the door” and realize you’re actually carrying a cat will your code blow up.

There are a few options for dealing with the problem. Before using an object, you can define specified types and check for them, as well as properties and functions connected to that object. This, however, adds overhead that highly typed languages can easily handle. You can also use TypeScript, a precompiled JavaScript extension that adds strong typing to the language and functions similarly to a compiler in that regard.

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that uses objects to solve problems

Java and JavaScript are both object-oriented programming languages. While Java requires the usage of objects throughout the codebase, JavaScript is far more lenient, allowing simple linear programming without the use of objects. Both languages support inheritance and polymorphism, which are two of the most important features of Object Oriented Design. Due to the dynamic nature of the language and the comparatively sophisticated syntax necessary to describe such constructions, JavaScript is more difficult about it.
Functional Programming (FP) is a type of programming that

In JavaScript, functions are treated as first-class citizens. They are handled as objects, can be handed into other functions, and can have their own member variables if needed. This flexibility enables some highly intriguing solutions and design patterns that are only possible in functional programming languages.

Functional programming has its own answer in Java. In Java 1.8 (“Java 8”), Java adds lambdas, which are a powerful tool to filter and modify data collections. Lambdas’ application, however, is limited to data processing and does not extend much beyond that.
Frameworks and Libraries

The libraries that are available for many languages define the language. Those libraries, regardless of their capabilities, make or break the language. The most complex, versatile, and well-thought-out language on the planet pales in comparison to a language with widespread acceptance and braintrust.

Both languages are a close match when it comes to this topic. Java recently suffered a setback in the browser world when Google removed Java support from Chrome due to security concerns. Java, on the other hand, has a substantial presence in the device industry, both Android and non-Android. Java is quite popular in server-side web development, particularly with the Spring framework and its MVC offering. JavaScript, on the other hand, is closely followed by NodeJS, which is a powerful server-side web solution, and AngularJS, which is a totally client-side MVVM offering.

Both languages include extensive support for a wide range of data stores, including SQL databases, NoSQL document stores, block data cloud stores, queues, and so on. A number of graphical libraries have been built for Java and afterwards translated to JavaScript, such as Processing, which has been fully supported in p5.js.
Workflow Development Environments for Developers

Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), in addition to library support, can make or break a language. An excellent IDE aids developers in quickly traversing the code base. IntelliSense (inline lookup comparable to Google suggested search terms), context highlighting, error highlighting (underline code that has to be corrected before it is compiled or sent for interpretation), and refactor assist tools are all useful aides.

Eclipse, NetBeans, and IntelliJ IDEA are just a few of the Java tools available. Some of the tools are free, while others are inexpensive for the value they provide. All of these programs, like Java, run on a variety of systems.

Most text editors, as well as the aforementioned IDEs, support JavaScript. Notepad++ for PC, Sublime Text for Linux, and Brackets for Mac are the author’s preferred text editors. Many of these solutions include a mechanism to host your JavaScript application, while others rely solely on Grunt to host and update your solution as files change. Most popular web browsers have excellent debugging capabilities, with Google Chrome developer tools now leading the pack.

Both of these toolsets are powerful and feature-rich; yet, due to Java’s tightly typed structure, it offers a slightly stronger “canary in the coal mine” IDE warning support. Furthermore, standard JavaScript development toolsets may be difficult for a junior developer to configure and learn right away.

Instruments for Testing

Unit testing, in particular, is an important aspect of the software development process. Unit testing can replace compile-time type verification in dynamically typed languages like JavaScript. When all of the functionality has been well tested, the developer will be able to immediately detect whether she is attempting to use the “open the door” method on a kitten.

With Jasmine, Mocha, and JEST, JavaScript has a significant presence in the testing world. Protractor is also widely used in AngularJS for end-to-end testing.

Java has a plethora of tools, many of which are well-integrated with IDEs, making it ideal for test development. One of these frameworks is JUnit. Individual test results can be reviewed in a dedicated window in your preferred IDE, and you can click through and troubleshoot each individual unit test. If your project is configured with Maven, the system will also run all of your unit tests when you compile it.
Automation of the Build and Delivery Process

This group of tools is typically used at the end of the software development process. It is crucial to developers since it dictates the portability of the code base between the machines of the team’s numerous developers, as well as continuous testing and delivery of the product.

On the JavaScript side, individual developers can use Bower for library fetching and Grunt for build management and execution. Bower can be configured to automatically pull new library packages for you if they were introduced to the project by other developers and you haven’t installed them yet. Grunt will compile your JavaScript and other resources into an execute folder, obfuscate your source code if needed, then launch or refresh your content on a web server.

Maven will take care of the majority of the aforementioned tasks on the Java side. Maven interacts with major Java IDEs, making the lives of developers much easier.

The majority of continuous integration systems will support both development and production server delivery stacks.

Conclusion

While you will eventually need to master both stacks, you should begin with a strongly typed, compiled language such as Java, which comes with an easy-to-configure, fully integrated IDE. Strong typing and compilation will allow you to concentrate on learning good coding habits, while a mostly auto-configured development environment will get you writing, testing, executing, and, most importantly, delivering code quickly.

Before you sprint, take a walk. As you progress into web programming, you’ll undoubtedly encounter JavaScript, but it’s better to start your career as a software developer with a solid object-oriented foundation. After learning one of the core languages, let your mind wander in whatever area that interests and excites you.