[evo4ever]

Exactly what the subject says. Vote now! Please take into consideration that JavaScript has no asociation with Java at all.

[etLux]

JAVA and JavaScript -- despite the similarity of name -- are virtually completely unrelated... a source of frequent confusion for newcomers to the art.

JAVA is a *compiled* language, perhaps most typically used on the 'Net to create binaries (called class files) for JAVA "applets". These are executed by the browser JVM [Java Virtual Machine]. (Similarly, it is used for server-side "servlets" and back-end work; though not nearly as extensively, as yet, as other languages.)

The vast majority of web builders will never create a JAVA applet, as it requires, at minimum, the use of a compiler; and, generally, an IDE [Integrated Development Environment], as well. Even fewer will build servlets or work with back-end JAVA applications. Rather, most will just use pre-made products that they insert into their pages or mount to their servers.

JavaScript, however, is a *scripting* language native to the page; and inserted, usually, directly into the page code. It is interpreted "on the fly" by the browser scripting engine (that is, requires no compilation)... and the only development tool you really need is the browser itself.

By far, JavaScript is arguably the single most commonly used "language" on the 'Net (other than HTML, of course) -- largely due to its accessibility, flexibility, and universality; and as such, generates both a raft of scripts and a concomitant barrage of questions.

JAVA belongs, properly, in the category of compiled languages; and JavaScript in the category of scripting languages.

[e4c5]

As two others have commented before me, it's wrong to have javascript listed as a sub cat of java. I recently started a thread on this very same topic on the site suggestions page and like to think this poll has been influenced by that.

[evo4ever]

EXACTLY! Now admin, please remove JS from the Java cat and put it under client-side programming.

PS: Did you know that JS was originally called LiveScript at one point?

[darkcarnival]

this i actually agree to. javascript and java are 2 different things. if they could move MySQL to its right spot then they should do the same to the javascript forum.

[Adrastea]

I agree with everyone else. JAVA and JavaScript have nothing to do with each other. The only minor connection between the two is that they are both object-oriented languages. Well, you can connect them also by saying that JavaScript was developed by Netscape, JAVA was developed by Sun, and Netscape and Sun have an alliance presently; however, that connection is just silly. ;-)

A few issues I had with other posts though:

JAVA is a *compiled* language, perhaps most typically used on the 'Net to create binaries (called class files) for JAVA "applets". These are executed by the browser JVM [Java Virtual Machine]. (Similarly, it is used for server-side "servlets" and back-end work; though not nearly as extensively, as yet, as other languages.)

JAVA is not really a compiled language. It is an interpreted language, similar to PHP and Perl. Where C++, COBOL, and other compiled languages are compiled into machine language, JAVA is "compiled" (for lack of a better term) into bytecode. The difference is that there is another program running between the platform and the JAVA program that interprets the bytecode (namely the JVM -- as mentioned). This is similar to the way that the php.exe file works between the web server and the PHP file, and how the Perl interpreter works between the web server and the Perl file.

Also, I wouldn't go as far as to say that JAVA is most used for applets. I was confused if you meant this in your post, etLux. It can be read two ways: "On the Net, JAVA is used mostly to create applets" or "JAVA is mostly used to create applets on the Net." See the difference? I would agree if you meant the first. Right now, its most popular usage on the web is creating applets. However, if you meant that JAVA is mostly used to create applets in general, you are mistaken.

PS: Did you know that JS was originally called LiveScript at one point?

Incorrect. LiveScript was the predecessor to JavaScript, not just another name. It is the same relationship that SGML has to both HTML and XML. It came first, then was improved to create JavaScript, but the JS language was never just called LiveScript.

I apologize if this post seemed like I was picking on anyone's comments, but I wasn't. I just wanted to make those two points clear.

Sam

[etLux]

I stand by both my grammar and my assertions.

[Adrastea]

Well, it seems that Sun classifies Java as a compiled, interpreted language. Source code compiled to bytecode, which is then interpreted by JVM. So I guess we are either both right or both wrong depending on how you look at it.

You can stand by your grammar all you want. No one said it is wrong (well, there are a few minor errors, but this isn't English class, so that is all I will say about that). All I said was that your sentence could be interpreted two ways: one of which was right, and one of which was wrong. So depending on how you read it, it may mislead some individuals.

[etLux]

You're a definite hoot, Adastrea. I thank you for the chuckles.

[Adrastea]

Elaborate?