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You paint Java as the child of corporate scheming (maybe unintentionally), but it was more nuanced than that. Java's success was due to several trends coming to

by kitd 12y ago

You paint Java as the child of corporate scheming (maybe unintentionally), but it was more nuanced than that. Java's success was due to several trends coming to together at the same time. The bulk of serious programming in the early 1990s was in C or C++. Cross-platform C libraries in those days were either abysses of mind-blowing complexity or just pure snake-oil. Since everything MS did was Windows, anything that came along to provide a good development experience (which Java did in comparison in those days) AND be cross-platform (one of its founding principles) couldn't help but be successful. So politics was certainly not the only factor.

waps 12y ago
Most of all, java was the first real commercial language with a (good) garbage collector. That was a real advantage.
gutnor 12y ago
Just adding up to those points. Compiling at the time was a problem. Adding a new library could mean hours of digging up to find out why you can't even link the damn thing in your project - if that's even possible. That's before even talking about cross-platform. Java was also a modern OO language, safer to use than C++ and with everything you needed right there in the JDK, all of that backed with solid documentation ( internet was not what it is now, if you were the lucky few with access at all ) In particular, java had a great easy approach to threading out of the box, working everywhere.
ralphc 12y ago
As someone who was programming at this time, and before, I agree with all these and the child comments. Java being OO but a "simpler C++" plus having garbage collection generated a lot of interest, even in places that were all Windows shops. Late 90's I worked at a place that sold software to customers that had to run on Windows, Linux, AIX, Solaris and HP-UX. Java went a long way of saving us from the #ifdef nightmares.

by kitd 12y ago

waps 12y ago

Most of all, java was the first real commercial language with a (good) garbage collector. That was a real advantage.

gutnor 12y ago

Just adding up to those points. Compiling at the time was a problem. Adding a new library could mean hours of digging up to find out why you can't even link the damn thing in your project - if that's even possible. That's before even talking about cross-platform. Java was also a modern OO language, safer to use than C++ and with everything you needed right there in the JDK, all of that backed with solid documentation ( internet was not what it is now, if you were the lucky few with access at all ) In particular, java had a great easy approach to threading out of the box, working everywhere.

ralphc 12y ago

As someone who was programming at this time, and before, I agree with all these and the child comments. Java being OO but a "simpler C++" plus having garbage collection generated a lot of interest, even in places that were all Windows shops. Late 90's I worked at a place that sold software to customers that had to run on Windows, Linux, AIX, Solaris and HP-UX. Java went a long way of saving us from the #ifdef nightmares.