All You Need To Know About Java Development (A Comprehensive Guide)
Java has been the undisputed king of enterprise development, despite the emergence of several programming languages and packages. Right from big names such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Spotify, and Netflix to even start-ups, businesses use Java to code their applications. There are around 174 thousand Java programmers in the United States (US) alone.
There’s no industry where Java hasn’t made its impact. Be it DevOps, Mobile Application Development, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, or Virtual Reality (VR), Java enables almost everything. This statically-typed language is multithreaded and copes with any medium you wish to work with. Desktop software, mobile APIs, game consoles, and cloud environments conveniently integrate and synchronize with Java. Enterprises are thus keen to leverage the value of this versatile programming language.
Building an in-house Java development team doesn’t fit in the operating model of many enterprises, and so, many Java development companies have sprung up.
Java services optimize web and mobile apps and simplify analytical tasks for enterprises. Java development companies are adept at employing variable libraries, they help build applications with the most advanced features.
As a one-stop guide on java development company, the following discussion will assist you to develop a comprehensive understanding of the notion, and address how to choose a java development company for your business while touching upon other important angles. Let’s begin.
What is Java Development?
Java Development is a process of developing software applications using the Java programming language. In general, Java development can be leveraged for a range of areas. Java is an object oriented programming language, has rich APIs, with a tremendous community of developers. All these factors aid the application development process.
The main attribute of Java is the WORA principle – work once run anywhere. Platform-independence, interaction-flexibility, and robustness define this trait of Java, and so java development is common in most software development projects.
Java Development is distinguished by its utmost capability to streamline the development process, as discussed across different measures below.
- Adaptability: Java code complies with most platforms and does not require a specific environment for amendments or bug-fixing actions.
- Reliability: Java offers remarkable exception and error handling that works continuously without causing any threat to the system efficiency.
- Security: Type-safe, virtual machine-based nature, and byte-code verifier render a highly robust character to java and make application development using java secure.
- Efficiency: Java derives its strength from the just-in-time compiler, which is a part of the Java Runtime Environment. It compiles bytecode just in time in native machines, which improves the performance of the programs written in Java.
- Compliance with up-to-date requirements. Java platforms constantly update their navigation, synchronizing it with the other working environments.
Types of Java Development Services
Supported by the above discussed features, Java development can be used for a variety of use cases across industries. So, Java development services encompass a range of different offerings. Here, we discuss prominent types of Java development services.
- Web application development services: The in-demand Java web application development service occupies a significant ratio of the IT market. Web application adoption has acquired pace, especially in industries like eCommerce and healthcare, which has brought web application development services to the forefront.
- Mobile app development services: Whether it is Android or iOS, Java programming can be used to develop a mobile application for any platform. Mobile application development companies thus heavily leverage Java to build bespoke applications that can perform a special function that the client wants to achieve with the applications. The total app revenue is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of 8.77% by 2026 in the United States.
- Desktop application development services: Famous applications like Small Body Mapping Tool (SBMT) have been written in Java. With the assistance of desktop application development services, businesses can develop a range of purely desktop-based applications that align with their processes and help meet business objectives.
- Cross-platform development services: Cross-platform support is an essential feature of today’s applications. A good Java development company while offering platform-centric development solutions will also offer cross-platform application development services.
- Backend development services: Strong applications are characterized by strong backends which can be built using a programming language such as Java that offers server-adaptive flexibility and memory-saving benefits. As such, Java is the primary programming language for backend development in most scenarios. Backend development services employ backend engineering experts who leverage these capabilities through Java programming.
- Cloud application development services: The business world is growing increasingly cloud, which is why cloud application development has become a crucial offering for software development companies. Here too, Java exercises its dominance. Thanks to the language’s open code capabilities and an array of virtualization features that creates for and adds value to the cloud.
What Is Java Programming Used For
Several uses of Java include building generic to highly contextual applications which balance the complexities of platforms and business models, and a variety of other applications. Since we have already familiarized you with this, let’s move a step further to understand more about the different types of applications that can be built using Java.
- GUI applications: Java helps build the best breed of GUI applications. It offers standard component sets like Swing which imparts flexibility and creativity to the embedded components. Java has been widely used to develop excellent GUI applications for both Windows and Linux platforms.
- Web applications: Java is wholly associated with the web environment. Statistic and dynamic resources allow us to collect inquiries and generate quick results. HTML pages are one of the most popular Java-developed products designed for the backend activities of web-based platforms.
- Mobile applications: You can hardly imagine Android apps without Java libraries and conceptual APIs. Java optimizes almost all functionalities on your cell phone, from operational functions to visibility elements. The high-level programming language nature of Java proves crucial in building lightweight but robust applications. Thus, you can keep your financial metrics, banking programs, emailing accounts, social media messengers, and even games on one single device.
- Embedded systems: Many developers choose Java for building embedded systems due to its operational capabilities. Thanks to its algorithm-building strength. From temperature measurement systems, kitchen equipment, calculators, digital cameras, digital watches, and MP3 players, applications written in Java are embedded in a range of applications, as artificial intelligence (AI) engages more and more spheres.
- Enterprise applications: Due to portability and high performance, this language is quite useful for launching productive benchmarks and optimizing working processes without massive investments or extra labor resources. The list of Java-based applications would be incomplete without mentioning its value for industry-specific analytical projects. For instance, Java was used to develop Java Mission-planning and Analysis for Remote Sensing (JMars) – an application for analyzing remote-sensing data.
History of Java Programming Language
Since its birth, Java has passed several milestones and has gathered many achievements. Here is a brief timeline of the java programming language’s evolution:
- 1991. Upon the release of C++ and updated C, Sun Microsystems started inventing more effective coding languages independently from individual architecture and specialized platforms. The last decade of the previous century coincides with the World Wide Web progression and searching for ways to optimize the coding process for the web environment. So, by replacing Python and Ruby, Sun Microsystems gave the background for object-oriented and class-based language.
- 1995. James Gosling works in Sun Microsystems and fulfills the best solution for running codes in any appropriate environment with simplified backend maintenance and named it Java. Although the previous versions were known as Oak, the Java development company decided to change the language name to eliminate the risks of plagiary.
- 1998. Java occupies the IT market, especially web users, pretty quickly and significantly improves its security and performance metrics. Encouraged by the success, Sun Microsystems releases the updated Java 2 with an optimized configuration suitable for most platforms.
- 2006 / 2007. Java development keeps transforming into free and open code under the GNU General Public License. As such, the company loses its author rights for Java.
- 2010. Oracle acquires Java and enhances its functional capacities with its database solutions. Thus, integration with Oracle SQL services makes Java the top language perfect for Internet programming and household equipment automatization.
All About Java Application Development Process
Here is how a generic Java application development workflow works.
A Java development company employs the above approach, which works step-by-step as below:
- A program when built is compiled using javac, a Java compiler, which converts the code into bytecode.
- In the next stage, the bytecode passes to the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) that converts the bytecode into machine code.
- However, Java works on the principle of dynamic compilation – compiling code that’s currently running.
- JIT (Just-in-time) compilation accomplishes dynamic compilation, compiling only the requisite bytecodes, and converting them into native code.
This is a technical snapshot of how Java programs execute. In enterprise application development, the course that a Java development company will choose may vary from project to project. However, this process will always remain the foundation of any Java development project.
Let’s understand these technical components of the Java development lifecycle in more detail.
- JDK or Java Development Kit: This software package allows the creation of platform-adaptive codes and runs them on other Java-supportive systems. These functions become realistic thanks to embedded compiler and class libraries which receive commands and generate appropriate results.
- JVM or Java Virtual Machines: Abstractive machines with significant performance capacities, JVM can convert codes developed by other programming languages. However, its genetic function is to read Java bytecode via machine mediums. However, you could hardly finalize the programming process if you do not install JRE and configure the application implementation and maintenance actions;
- JRE or Java Runtime Environment. Deployment technologies in JRE software run application code programmed by the other languages. Its libraries and upgraded compiler efficiently process the client inquiries and verify the bytecodes. However, to increase the performance capacities, you should install both JVM and JRE to compile the Java-related programs with minimum omissions.
The above concepts practice the methodologies appropriate for any language. Java easily synchronizes with Waterfall, Kanban, or Agile techniques. Moreover, you may adjust automation verification processing to test the quality and correctness of the generated codes.
Java Development Lifecycle and Methodology
An application development lifecycle goes beyond the technological considerations of the project. Here is how the Java development lifecycle works:
Java Development and DevOps tools in 2022
To assess a Java development company‘s competence, check its capability to leverage a broad range of Java development tools. We are now in an era of cloud computing and VR – spaces built on a strong foundation of most-advanced applications. For building top-notch applications for these high-tech domains, good programmers use multiple technologies and platforms. Here are some of those systems and technologies.
- Git: It offers understandable configurations with valuable functions, which makes it a significant part of the enterprise Java application development. As a collaborative platform, it allows multiple programs to work together. Thus, supporting non-linear development, the tool expedites the implementation process.
- Docker: This technology expands your capacities to work in the cloud environment and integrate Java-developed codes.
- Jenkins: The up-level Java-related software transmits the programming process into automation. Building and testing actions become effective and save the DevOps developers’ time.
- Selenium. One of the code testing leaders ideally fits the Java programming concept and detects any bug affecting the product functionality.
- Kubernetes: This tool streamlines container tasks in DevOps. Offering horizontal auto-scaling, rolling updates, and canary deployment, it smooths the development and testing process.
- SonarQube: It’s an open-source platform for continuous inspection of the quality of the developed code. It offers statistical insights into the code, which helps in detecting bugs and addressing security vulnerabilities.
- Gradle: It automates the process of application development, managing end-to-end tasks in the entire lifecycle. Along with being a build-automation tool, it offers support to multiple languages. The biggest advantage of Gradle is that it improves development consistency.
Java Development Best Practices
A good Java development company strives to build quality high-performance code that impacts the application users’ mindset. To this end, expert Java programming engineers apply best practices and standard coding rules, as discussed here.
- Proper naming conventions are used. The name for different commands should comply with the unified standards.
- Apply a private access modifier for the class fields. This practice is essential to keep class fields unchangeable.
- Simplify the code literacy with underscores.
- Do not forget to fill the catch blocks.
- Use In-built StringBuilder to improve the code interpretation.
- Create a code without memory leaks and redundant initializations.
- Receive comments on your code for the independent evaluation of your work.
- Do not insert objects or elements which reduce the memory size irrationally.
- Try to work with empty collections instead of null elements, which waste your time and staff efforts.
- Use single and double quotes to follow the programming correct coding syntax.
Follow us and learn about Java development best practices, standards, and clean code principles.
An Overview of Enterprise Java Application Development
Java is an excellent choice for those who wish to optimize their business processes with software solutions. In particular, enterprise Java application development helps design high-performance APIs for operative and effective data processing.
Enterprise Java Development differs from standard development. The scale and magnitude of the former is greater, while the latter focuses on small individual projects. We help you understand more about this by discussing various aspects of application development in the context of enterprise development.
- Scalability. Enterprise Java concept embeds many functional capabilities to work with vast client databases. This includes automation support to process information and generate quick results upon the appropriate inquiries.
- Reliability: The enterprise Java applications are entirely reliable due to the high security of the in-built code. For instance, leaving personal contact details in ATMs or purchasing something online, clients entrust your business software which could save their inserted data and avoid its leakage. Thanks to Java for making the foundation of these enterprise applications.
- Multi-tiered option: Powered by its multi-tiered architecture, Java simplifies the process to implement complex algorithms demanded by today’s enterprise applications.
- Security: The enterprise Java applications have private coding syntax, eliminating data leak risks or virus installation. Therefore, clients of Internet banking or synchronized cloud environments for kitchen devices and cell phones are immune to cyber violence.
Why development teams pick Java enterprise application development over other editions?
Top Industries Where Java Application Development Is Used
As we saw earlier, there’s no industry where Java hasn’t left its imprint. It’s a programming language that’s perfect for any context due to its flexibility and object-oriented nature.
Extensive use of Java can be witnessed in the following industries:
- eCommerce and Retail: Java is heavily used in eCommerce. Right from online stores, and enterprise resource planning platforms, to predictive analytics, Java enables several functionalities. E.g. Digital merchants rely on Java application development synchronized for desktop and mobile versions to be vital for driving sales and traffic tracking.
- Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance Sector (BFSI): Most web applications and application programming interfaces (APIs) in BFSI execute on Java platforms. The frontend of many desktop applications is based on Java applets.
- Healthcare: May it be computation biology or telemedicine, Java is used to build robust distributed systems and data repositories, so that healthcare providers can have a connected ecosystem that guarantees excellent patient-care.
- Manufacturing: Java is the soul of embedded systems. Manufacturing owes much of its success in automation and digitization to Java.
- Gaming: Java is heavily used for developing gaming applications for both mobile and desktop. It offers lightweight and rich libraries which has made it a favorite amongst developers in the gaming space.
- Social media: Java provides reliable productive code with which developing quick surfing pages and strong communication capabilities become possible.
- Search engines: Java has been the bedrock of successful search engines like Google – the most used search engine in the United States of America (USA) as well as in the world. It streamlines inquiry processing, improves data compilation, and quickens result generation.
Top Use-Cases of Java-Based Software Development
Having got an insight into the industries, let’s get more specific by dwelling into some known use-cases that have been addressed through Java-based development. A successful Java development company has a range of use cases, across industries, to its name.
- Web technologies: The visibility effects and data processing benefits make Java a one-stop solution for many web APIs or online stores. Java frameworks like Spring or Hibernate are harmonically integrated into the web environment and thereby help create secure and high-performance products.
- Desktop technologies: Java comes with programming frameworks such as Swing, AWT, and JavaFX relative to the desktop environment.
- Mobile environment: Java offers tremendous multitasking and high-loading capabilities, which makes it one of the best programming languages for Android devices.
- Cloud environment: Java’s multi-platform capabilities, robust security features and backward compatibility has raised it to the top of programmers’ choices for developing cloud environments.
- Embedded-server applications: It’s easy to package an application and ship it within the server itself using Java Archive (JAR). Integrated solutions in banking and stock market thus heavily rely on Java.
- Artificial intelligence (AI): AI, Machine Learning, and Virtual Reality (VR) are gaining ground. Involving humongous data volumes, these concepts demand a robust set-up, in which Java serves as a pivotal element.
List of Top Enterprise Products That Use Java as Their Main Technology Stack
Many famous apps at your fingertips are Java-built. So, apparently Java development is driving technology use by individuals as well as businesses. SMBs and large-in-size companies are using Java to produce apps for everyday activities. Some of the famous names include:
- YouTube
- Spotify
- Google Docs
- Uber
- Netflix
- Amazon
Along with this, there are countless number of Android-embedded smartphones for reasons ranging from planning working schedules, counting walk distance, improving fitness, learning foreign languages, to playing logic games.
Hiring the Best Java Development Company
Before entering into a partnership with a Java Development company, a business must carry out the evaluation through the following three criteria:
- Product requirements: The set specifications determine the resources you need to engage for a better development process. According to Java development features, customers should think over the product objective and functional background to simplify the programming concept and select the appropriate framework.
- Investment size: Your product requirements should be grounded in line with financial capacities. Thus, if you have built a simple code, choose Java for its improvements in case of available investments.
- Staff engaged: Outsourcing a team or one-service provider are better decisions instead of the permanent staff members. Java is an open-code language. Therefore, you may hire a company that requires your quality and price criteria to compile updates or fix the error-provoked strings.
Top 10 Java Development Companies 2022 That Provide Expert Java Services
Java development company refers to the specific commercial agencies specialized in software production, using this object-oriented and general-purpose language. On the market, experienced APIs developers may be located in a place or representing the association networking. In 2022, the top 10 companies which leverage Java techniques for project implementation include:
- Finoit: It’s a top multinational software development company in the United States (US) that designs and develops applications in Java, amongst many other languages, and reaps huge benefits for the business.
- Hyperlink InfoSystem: App development company providing numerous digital solutions for businesses.
- ScienceSoft: Designs versatile Java-based software apps and follows advanced standards in programming trends.
- iTechArt Group: Differentiates its activities for startups and large businesses based on requirements.
- Sigma Software Group: Offers productive innovative solutions using programming languages like Java.
- SPD Group: It is primarily involved in producing Java-based AI applications.
- KnubiSoft: It is a growing company with incredible experience in Java development, providing a range of apps and products.
- Forte Group: experiments with cutting-edge technologies and integrates the best solutions for successful final products.
- Praxent: Involved in commercial web and mobile application development.
- Bairesdev: Develops high-performance software solutions to meet client requirements.
See more advantages of working with Finoit for Java application development.
Top Screening Criteria for Choosing a Java Development Company
Along with the staff hiring specifications, each client may draft a brief checklist full of requirements to be satisfied. As a service customer, you must set the following criteria for screening a Java development company:
- Technical skills: You need to check portfolios of the company and its specific knowledge in the context of the proposed project.
- Financial capacity: The software development company could hardly be reliable if its profits are low. Thus, decreased incomes are equal to the managerial or technical incompetence of the candidate.
- Express of interest: Ask the software agency to send a short proposal to your announced terms of requirements and verify the technical mediums planned to apply. The old version does not guarantee high-performance metrics.
- References: Test the good connections for the previous projects and try demo versions or quick manual quality assurance tests.
See more screening criteria for choosing a Java agency in our blog.
Best Models to Build a Java Development Team
Java is worth evolving the cross-cutting software solutions and adapting to methodological models. In practice, the Java development process is deemed effective if the team’s work is organized under one of the following mechanisms:
- DevOps/Scrum: This technique is trendy and involves universal specialists experienced in each development stage. Often, this model compares with the Agile approach and qualifies as the best project management method. However, DevOps is more multi-tiered and adjusted like Scrum. The processes are performed in parallel and do not waste time on interim milestones. For product quality, this model is practical because QA managers could cooperate with development engineers.
- Agile: This software development model employs the idea of cyclical feedback through iterative process, and optimizes the process to develop software.
- Kanban. An Agile managerial technique, Kanban offers real-time communication capabilities and a transparent work culture, and is widely used in DevOps.
- Spiral model: This model is sophisticated, but each team member can control the process and manage a systematic approach.
- Waterfall: This traditional model comprises sequential stages dedicated to developing software products. For small projects, this technique is pretty compelling.
Discover more models acceptable for Java development.
Everything About Offshore and Outsourcing Java Development
An offshore Java development company that provides outsourcing services is an ideal investment decision. This choice has many advantages for clients because:
- Significant cost-effectiveness, which means your investment gains: You do not need to appoint a specialized team permanently. Just engage the outsourcing staff for development purposes and hire a few specialists for maintenance. According to the office costs, you also save your funds and avoid rental fees or equipment acquisition.
- Time Optimization: You can better manage the operational time and fix deadlines to coordinate the operational project implementation schedule.
- High creativity and productivity: Freelancers or outsourcing specialists are less subject to overwhelmed factors or emotional disbalance than employees. So, you may discover creative approaches to routine development processes.
See more details about offshore and outsourcing Java development agencies.
What Is the Future of Java Development?
Despite the coming of new programming languages, Java continues to keep its position due to its flexibility and readiness to change in light of the trending requirements. The cutting-edge innovations induce this programming language to comply with the new updates.
The forecast estimations thus do not exclude Java from the list of popular coding languages. As such, each business can find the frameworks and variables which cooperate with the following industries:
- Cloud environments
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Cryptocurrency
- CRM optimization
Thus, the Java development process does not stop improving and enhancing the performance capabilities. This statement is proved by the labor market fact-findings and increased demand for the Java developers.
Java Future Trends 2022
Java’s APIs are based on object-oriented language principles and demonstrate stable compliance with the trends. In general, Java is an up-to-date language that easily synchronizes with technological innovations. Based on the genuine Java meaning and software development specifications, this programming language quickly builds codes for:
- Remote access solutions: The external force majeure circumstances forced businesses to practice remote work for their employees. Software developers would increasingly try to simplify the data distribution and mutual access to the document management platforms. A Java development company in the United States with operations expanding across the globe helps in securing the cost benefit.
- Big data: The increasing eCommerce market niche has stimulated Java engineers to develop tools for quicker and more effective data processing despite their volumes and traffic loading.
- VR technologies. Gaming and VR mediums occupy the broader market ratios and require Java to build error-free codes for versatile GIU effects.
- SaaS & PaaS. Software / Platform as a Service is the top industry per market scalability. Java generates productive outcomes to manage vast inflows of information required to be processed.
A successful Java development company would be developing solutions in these trend areas, and help build a strong commercial strategy.
Wrapping up
The popularity of Java doesn’t seem to diminish as the language continues to remain a strong driver in application development. As we saw, Java is used by organizations across the world to build bespoke applications, as the programming language has fetched positive outcomes. Here, in this article, we touched upon important aspects of Java development.
However, there’s always a scope for knowing more about the language and the plethora of its features, uses, and applications. In order to not miss those important insights around the language, do follow us for a deep dive into Java programming.