Java

The bulk of this book will be, as the title suggests, covering the Java programming language.

To clear up some common misconceptions:

  • No, Java was not made by or for Minecraft. Minecraft came into existence in 2010. Java has been around since 1996.
  • No, you do not have to pay Oracle if you use Java. You can download Java from other organizations with non-litigious track records like Adoptium if you are nervous.
  • No, Java is not the same thing as JavaScript. JavaScript is a very different beast. The naming is very confusing yes. The history is wild.

The drawing at the top is Java's official1 mascot.2 The drawing below is JavaScript's.

The differences between these mascots are representative of the differences between the two languages.

1

There is another logo people use for Java - a coffee cup with steam coming off of it - that is a trademarked symbol of Oracle. If you use it there is a high likelyhood of Oracle juicero-ing your first-born.

2

What is that mascot? Well it is named "Duke," but beyond that your guess is as good as mine. I'll be using that ambiguity to its fullest.