What Is Java Software?
Java is a technology produced by Oracle (formerly Sun Microsystems) that ideally enables software makers to produce a single program that can be run on virtually any platform. Commonly, Java is used in a variety of ways: to run "applets" in web browsers, similar to Flash or Silverlight; to run desktop programs like word processors, games, etc.; and to run servers that host web applications.
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Java Applets
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A Java applet is a small program that runs inside your web browser. This enables you to interact with a website in different ways from normal browsing. An applet is very similar in concept to Flash or Silverlight, in that an applet extends the functionality of the browser to include playing videos, uploading files, or communicating with other servers.
Java Desktop Software
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Many software makers have used Java to create desktop software. All sorts of software, from word processors to games have been created using Java. By using Java, software makers can more easily produce software that runs on many different operating systems, like Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh and Linux.
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Enterprise Java Software
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Java is very commonly used to produce and run enterprise systems found in many large corporations. One such reason for its use in this setting is because of the large library of features that Java offers to software makers. Java includes a multitude of features so that software makers do not have to recreate common functionality. Oftentimes, these enterprise systems take the form of web applications that only use Java on the server and do not require the users to have Java installed.
Java-Powered Websites
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Java is also a common platform used to host websites. Even though a website may not require its users to have Java installed or enabled, a website could still be using Java to serve up the web pages. Software development platforms built on top of Java, like Java Server Pages, have enabled software makers to quickly and efficiently use the power of Java to develop dynamic web sites and web applications.
History
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Java was created in 1991 and first released in 1995 by Sun Microsystems. The project started out of a desire to create programs that could be written once by a programmer and run anywhere. (Hence the slogan, "write once, run anywhere.") Recently, the software maker Oracle bought Sun Microsystems, and has since taken over ownership and development of the Java platform.
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