Result: SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMING IS JAVA FOR SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMING?

Java is the fastest-growing programming language today. With a survey showing that 17 % of programmers cite Java as the language they use the most (see “How Big Is Java Now? ” on p. 615), scientific programmers may wonder what is behind all this interest. Should we learn Java? Java’s different aspects require us to evaluate this question according to our individual computing needs. For teaching physics, Java programs embedded in World Wide Web pages allow interactive learning and student-programmable demonstrations. For businesses, Java and its related technology offer the possibility of sophisticated Web-based interfaces to conduct sales, collect information, and interact with databases, and an alternative to the PC in organizing the corporate computing environment. In scientific programming, the Java language meets the need for a simpler objectoriented language than C++ but is not useful yet in very-large-scale simulations. The reason for all the Java-related activity is that the technology addresses several quite different needs at least moderately well. However, the confusion, hype, and obfuscation are even greater than they were for the object-oriented revolution. In this article, I shall attempt to clarify the uses of the several aspects of everything known as “Java, ” for I believe a combination of factors will result in Java’s becoming very important.