Java, the tech world's ubiquitous workhorse, is a language that stands tall in the realm of computer science education. Loved by some for its 'build once, run anywhere' motto, and loathed by others for its verbose syntax and boilerplate code, today, I found myself forced into a rendezvous with this juggernaut. But here's my confession: I can't learn to love Java. Not yet.
Today was a challenging day. Personal matters took center stage, and I found myself grappling with dwindling motivation to code. In my heart, I was yearning to delve deeper into the realm of Python, my language of choice. Yet, reality thrust Java into my hands, courtesy of my CS class at Boston University.
My first impression of Java was one of stark contrast. Having already dabbled in the elegance of C# and the flexibility of Scala, Java seemed to me like an unwieldy beast, an artifact of another era. It's not that I fail to appreciate the historical significance of Java. In its heyday, the ability to write your code once and run it on any device must have seemed like the holy grail of programming. But in today's world, where numerous languages offer similar portability and far more simplicity, Java seems like an unnecessarily complex dinosaur.
Even Java's maintainers seem to acknowledge this. Take, for example, the recent Java update that enables you to avoid the notorious boilerplate code that introduces every beginner's first function. We've all seen, or more likely written, the infamous:
public class HelloWorld {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Hello, World!");
}
}
Now, thankfully, it can be simplified to:
void main() {
System.out.println("Hello World!");
}
This update is intended for educational purposes, an admission that Java's verbosity can be a barrier for newcomers. While this is a step in the right direction, it doesn't alleviate my frustration with the language. After all, when Python allows me to express complex ideas in beautifully succinct code, being forced to switch to Java feels like a step backwards.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not dismissing Java entirely. I spent my day grappling with its syntax, wrestling with its intricacies, and slowly but surely making progress. Besides, I was still able to maintain my GitHub contributions streak and update my personal website (which, by the way, you should totally check out: My Personal Website). But the fact remains that Java is a language I'm learning out of obligation rather than choice, and that's a sentiment hard to shake off.
So, here I am, caught in the throes of Java. As much as I wish I could share a tale of newfound love and appreciation, I find myself instead lamenting its archaic syntax and verbose commands. Perhaps one day, I'll grow to appreciate its power and ubiquity, but for now, Java remains my necessary nemesis.