Reading the title of this post; the typical tech Lord is frowning his face, wondering what larisoft smoked last, and preparing to leave a few f bombs in the comment section to set the idiot straight. Unfortunately, i haven’t smoked ever. Unfortunately, the f-bombs will be unwarranted. Probably because unfortunately, the post title is true: java is dying!


Does anyone remember what it was like programming in Nigeria between 2009 to 2014? Java was the thing! Nokia phones were everywhere so the go-to language to reach the average joe who, of course, could not afford a symbian phone was: Java! Internet access was still a novelty most offices didnt have so the go-to language to develop portable enterprise applications was: java. And towards the end of the era, a new shiny operating system emerged and changed things so fast we all spinned. And guess what its programming language was? You guessed it! Java!


Everyone was doing java! Those who werent felt insecure. Not knowing java meant you had to turn down several lucrative opportunities. Myself; i was coding java like that’s all there was and till date, i have not invested as much time in any other language as i have in java.


Its 2017 and we are all finding that our java skills are being kept in the shelfs for far too long. It’s becoming one of those things you use on two projects in a whole year (except of course java is your core specialization and you are in an organization that is relatively old).


How did it happen?


1. Javascript came along and started making trouble:

Yeah! JAVASCRIPT!


Javascript first started out as a few lines of code you copied from stackoverflow or you know, wherever. No one really gave it that much attention. All of a sudden; we started seeing more and more of the guy (javascript) on pages that mattered (google, facebook, etc). Then some really troublesome guys went and developed phonegap, you know because they wanted developers who were too dumb to learn java, to be able to program mobile apps.


At this point, things weren't too roughed up for dear Java yet. Phonegap was still so slow people who used it were simply thought of as lazy. Then it kept getting better. And google released angular. And ionic came with the tide and used angular. Long story short; today, writing native apps with android is usually only for special circumstances.


Turns out very few android apps are ‘special’. And so a lot of android apps are getting written, but very few of them require hardcore android studio and good old java. Most apps now are fine and fast in javascript and one of its many mobile frameworks.


Javascript! Who would have thought that? It’s like David killing Goliath!!!


2. Java maintained a high learning curve even in the face of easy to learn languages like php and python. And ...again: javascript.


I dont know why the guys managing java let this happen. Till date, using java as a beginner is pretty much as difficult as it was 9 years ago. Java just doesn't care for ‘dumb’ guys.


For instance, using php for a beginner might be hard since you had to install an awful lot things (Apache, mysql, php, php-cli, etc) but it was simplified by WAAMP and LAAMP. The average joe could just install lammp stack, visit http://localhost and feel like a genius.


With Java; you had to install jdk. If it didnt come with jre (and it didnt most times), you had to install that one too. And what if your system architecture is x32 and you installed an x64 version? Uuummm...what is he saying? Right? And oh! I forgot, There is java EE and there is java SE. Which one will you be needing? There are books that explain the differences but they are only over 500 pages long.


Now, we’ve gotten the ground wet a little bit, you have to set variable path (which is not as easy as it sounds, trust me). After that, the installation then begins. You have to choose one of these very very heavy IDEs: ecliipse, netbeans, Intellij. But wait, the beginner still doesnt know what an IDE is. After installing the ide, you have to learn how to use it to build a program.


At this point; our beginner just gives up and goes to watch...say… Keeping up with the kardishians. Shit is too freaking hard.


Even C# which is java’s strongest competition is made as easy as milk by visual studio...which simplifies development so much that there are CTOs whom are of the opinion that programmers who use visual studio are not real programmers.



But java remained consistently difficult to grasp. Gradually, more and more guys were joining the industry and most of them werent geniuses. So our php space kept getting crowded. Today, i cant even write an app in Java anymore because maintaining it will be a nightmare. No one else will be able to maintain the app if am not around. Everyone is all about php/python/node.js these days.



In conclusion, java is still a respected language which commands the best salaries in today’s industry, but it’s dying. No CTO would rush to implement a program in java without giving it a second and third thought. This means that fewer programs are getting implemented in java. This means that the demand for java is falling. This means there are fewer developers thinking of creating libraries in java (what with all the javascript library madness). This means that java is dying.



Culled from http://larisoftng..com.ng/
Nigerian Programming Blog

Myopic.

You just succeeded in explaining how unique Java is, and how it stands out from other languages. You succeeded In making me love Java more.

But but Java still runs most Enterprise platforms oh at least in Nigeria

"There are two kinds of programming languages: the ones people complain about, and the ones nobody uses."

- Prof. Bjarne Stroustrup (Designer and creator of the C++ programming language, and Director of Technology at Morgan Stanley)

Its Kotlin that murdered Java, where it was on breathing apparatus(it actually was on an Android life support).

Not the other languages you mentioned.

Java Aint dying soon, it's going into Serenity like C/C++

excanny:
Its Kotlin that murdered Java, where it was on breathing apparatus(it actually was on an Android life support).

Not the other languages you mentioned.

Kotlin killed Java what a joke how many Kotlin adopters are there even do you know many solutions are built on Java. Come with facts you think enterprise companies will wake up and decide to switch to Kotlin. Kotlin is not bad but its going to be a while. Most Java users are Enterprise and trust me it will be a while , Enterprise solutions don't just jump language anyhow still some running legacy languages.

excanny:
Its Kotlin that murdered Java, where it was on breathing apparatus(it actually was on an Android life support).

Not the other languages you mentioned.

Would you believe there are demands for COBOL developers and in fact more expensive than everyday developers. So Java dying not sure, it may lack the mainstream noise.
Alafia Doley!

pcguru1:


Kotlin killed Java what a joke how many Kotlin adopters are there even do you know many solutions are built on Java. Come with facts you think enterprise companies will wake up and decide to switch to Kotlin. Kotlin is not bad but its going to be a while. Most Java users are Enterprise and trust me it will be a while , Enterprise solutions don't just jump language anyhow still some running legacy languages.

.NET is knocking Java off Enterprise solutions. The only strong lifeline for Java was Android application. U nfortunately, Google abandoned Java when they made Kotlin official android language.

You might say what of non-windows OS, but the question is how many users exists for these? I can't remember vividly, .NET is already restructuring for cross platform in future with better and fewer codes than Java.

The fate of Java would soon be same as C/C++.

excanny:


.NET is knocking Java off Enterprise solutions. The only strong lifeline for Java was Android application. U nfortunately, Google abandoned Java when they made Kotlin official android language.

You might say what of non-windows OS, but the question is how many users exists for these? I can't remember vividly, .NET is already restructuring for cross platform in future with better and fewer codes than Java.

The fate of Java would soon be same as C/C++.

1. When you say .Net you mean core or normal .NET, because Core doesn't have a lot of its modules ported and also .NET is quite expensive for a company compared to Java, Google abandoning Java might have more to do with the legal issue with Oracle, well C++ is still around and in use , The Gaming industry is one that rides heavily on C++, am not here to battle language wars, but am telling you a lot of companies in Nigeria use Java and also outside Nigeria, .NET is good but its expensive especially the licenses.

excanny:


.NET is knocking Java off Enterprise solutions. The only strong lifeline for Java was Android application. U nfortunately, Google abandoned Java when they made Kotlin official android language.

You might say what of non-windows OS, but the question is how many users exists for these? I can't remember vividly, .NET is already restructuring for cross platform in future with better and fewer codes than Java.

The fate of Java would soon be same as C/C++.

You talk as one who doesn't understand how computer hardware process instruction. Java will still be hot 20 years from now. Asides Java EE, there is the ever improving and expanding Spring framework. Plus java 9 is on the pipeline and it features a new MVC framework MVC 1.0 as well as more advanced multitreading support.
Java beats ASP.NET in security with slight margin. Plus every seasoned programmer will attest to the fact that Java supports rapid prototyping, especially enterprise apps.
Can you beat that?

Desyner:
You talk as one who doesn't understand how computer hardware process instruction. Java will still be hot 20 years from now. Asides Java EE, there is the ever improving and expanding Spring framework. Plus java 9 is on the pipeline and it features a new MVC framework MVC 1.0 as well as more advanced multitreading support. Can you beat that?

We use Spring Framework never did Java Web development but Spring is the shit. The abstraction is crazy especially the RestTemplate and RediaTemplate.

Thanks guys! This is what i was hoping for! For the gurus to come out and share what they think. All in all, i think java is getting far less popular than it used to be. Its only a matter of time and it will be where c++ is today; FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES ONLY!

DevDenky:
You just succeeded in explaining how unique Java is, and how it stands out from other languages. You succeeded In making me love Java more.

Has nothing to do with love, bro. Leave sentiments for now. When a language enters a space, which java has been walking into, developing in it becomes so expensive, most people who know what they are doing would rather avoid it.

If you were asked to write an android app, and you knew javascript well: which would you consider first? An ionic app that will work on windows, iphone, android, blackberry; or one native app that will take longer and will require someone on a salary of atleast 300k to maintain?

Lets be honest! Java is going!

This means less attention/ fewer open source libraries. And it will get to the extent where even academics will shy away from it too. I know for one that if you or I wanted to release a library for something in Nigeria, we wouldnt be doing it java. Very few of the people we are trying to help will use it. Now, what if we used PHP or say python?

Its not about sentiments, bro?

.NET has fully re-strategised to take over from java as the next best full-fledged programming language. With the r release of AspNet Core, the legacy issues with .Net is finally removed. You can now write your web applications and host it in any platform you wish.
With Xamarin you can write your mobile application and it will compile in andriod, ios and windows, just like Ionic. And you do everything in the language everyone know and love, C#. And you have the added advantage of using the best IDE, Visual Studio, which keeps getting better and easier to use with the release of 2017 version. You can use nuget to seamlessly integrate and use any javascript framework you may wish to use. Angular2 integration is automatic. So you can easily use it for ur frontend with AspNet.

I use to know java but since i begun with C#, i now wonder why java looks so old-fashioned. I wonder why they havent developed any SQL technology like C# has with LINQ.

I totally agree with the op

jpmoriarti:
.NET has fully re-strategised to take over from java as the next best full-fledged programming language. With the r release of AspNet Core, the legacy issues with .Net is finally removed. You can now write your web applications and host it in any platform you wish.
With Xamarin you can write your mobile application and it will compile in andriod, ios and windows, just like Ionic. And you do everything in the language everyone know and love, C#. And you have the added advantage of using the best IDE, Visual Studio, which keeps getting better and easier to use with the release of 2017 version. You can use nuget to seamlessly integrate and use any javascript framework you may wish to use. Angular2 integration is automatic. So you can easily use it for ur frontend with AspNet.

I use to know java but since i begun with C#, i now wonder why java looks so old-fashioned. I wonder why they havent developed any SQL technology like C# has with LINQ.

I totally agree with the op

Java Stream but though nothing like LINQ. Some of us use Stored Procedure and not ORM , but I have used LINQ and its cool. With time we will see

DevDenky:
You just succeeded in explaining how unique Java is, and how it stands out from other languages. You succeeded In making me love Java more.

larisoft has produced zero reasons why he "claims he is " leaving java. java isnt the best though but its still a language to love.

BUILD:
of all the languages in java's family, only java can produce cross-platform executable without any third party software and in less than 15 letters of shell command.

INSTALLATION:
as of java 1.8, JDK package comes with a default jre.
to install java, you only need one software, JDK; nothing else; i have a programmer(phD) with over 15 years experience who uses notepad for his java codes.
larisoft should realize that not everyone has the ability to think logically and with zeal like programmers do; not all "newbies" are meant to become pro coders.

LANGUAGE:
OP probably hasnt used java to the point of loving it. theres binding, parallel streams, functional interfaces, etc.

Besides what just happened to using tools, as I've gotten older i don't care about language wars but which i should be looking at. And also only sticking to languages i use and not learning for fun.

Learn.

[color=#000099][/color] Android OS Is one of the leading operating system now. and java is used in developing their apps. so wtf are you talkn abt

I may not fully understand all those big terminologies but with the little android apps I made with java, it made me love java as a language.
Note: I have seen php, python(don't even like it at all), and javascript. The fact that javascript is even too simple makes me not to like it... IMO, java is bae

SilverG33k:
I may not fully understand all those big terminologies but with the little android apps I made with java, it made me love java as a language.
Note: I have seen php, python(don't even like it at all), and javascript. The fact that javascript is even too simple makes me not to like it... IMO, java is bae

'javascript simple'?... How do you mean sir?

roadsta:


'javascript simple'?... How do you mean sir?

IMO, Every language is not easy fine, but i've seen javascript and compared to the java I've written, java is still more complex to write than javascript, ignore the fact that I don't know javascript, at least I've seen lots and lots of sample codes written in javascript, it has slight differences but the difficulty level can't just be compared.

Something tells me you're a javascript coder,

Why don't we all carry all these arguments to Nigeria newest online community for developers at www.talk.i.ng

Olyboy16:


larisoft has produced zero reasons why he "claims he is " leaving java. java isnt the best though but its still a language to love.

BUILD:
of all the languages in java's family, only java can produce cross-platform executable without any third party software and in less than 15 letters of shell command.

INSTALLATION:
as of java 1.8, JDK package comes with a default jre.
to install java, you only need one software, JDK; nothing else; i have a programmer(phD) with over 15 years experience who uses notepad for his java codes.
larisoft should realize that not everyone has the ability to think logically and with zeal like programmers do; not all "newbies" are meant to become pro coders.

LANGUAGE:
OP probably hasnt used java to the point of loving it. theres binding, parallel streams, functional interfaces, etc.

Really apt points there. And thanks for the correction on the JDK being bundled with JRE as of Java 1.8. But you seem to be saying that I havent used java to the point of loving it. Meaning that its about love. I love java. God! What i'm saying is that, in the face of a fast growing tech scene, Java has remained pretty much the same. The consequence; she is losing her ecosystem. I run a software development company and its just sad that I keep finding fewer reasons to type "javac", or run spring; except when am teaching a student.

To agree with the OP, Stanford dropped java from their syllabus as introductory programming language. I shared my experience with Java recently. And I kind of agree with Stanford and the op.

larisoft:


Really apt points there. And thanks for the correction on the JDK being bundled with JRE as of Java 1.8. But you seem to be saying that I havent used java to the point of loving it. Meaning that its about love. I love java. God! What i'm saying is that, in the face of a fast growing tech scene, Java has remained pretty much the same. The consequence; she is losing her ecosystem. I run a software development company and its just sad that I keep finding fewer reasons to type "javac", or run spring; except when am teaching a student.

from a software project manager's point of view(which you should be), your preference might be justified. But then, i think a reasonable lot of big things are still being built in java...just do a little googling.
also, if you check the new java9 maybe you might just have a rethink.

BTW, i AM NOT A java matyr...no no. i'm just some regular java coder, i'm not even an expert at all. i just love the language's elegance

directonpc:
To agree with the OP, Stanford dropped java from their syllabus as introductory programming language. I shared my experience with Java recently. And I kind of agree with Stanford and the op.

that standford dropped java for its intro courses doesn't mean java is not good enough as a language; standford simply needed something simpler! same reason why they would drop c++ or c# if it were the case

Olyboy16:


that standford dropped java for its intro courses doesn't mean java is not good enough as a language; standford simply needed something simpler! same reason why they would drop c++ or c# if it were the case

I didn't mention not good enough in my post, Stanford didn't either.

directonpc:
I didn't mention not good enough in my post, Stanford didn't either.

O Kay.

Kivy will soon takeover�