Is it worthwhile to study Java programming?

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Is it worthwhile to study Java programming?

Never use Java. Ever. Lot's of people will tell you the portability of it makes the performance hits worth it and many other pieces of gibberish. The reason Java is used so much is becuase it is "easy" and it can be used everywhere. You want real portability and speed, learn C. C, C++, Objective-C, C#, those are your friends. C, though, has a much steeper learning curve. C will not hold your hand. It's vocabulary is very archaic, in the terms of C is to Java as trigon is to triangle, and different C based languages have different word styles. C will bite you if you don't know what you're doing, however the benefits are worth it. You will learn a great deal by programming in C family languages (close relatives, not distant cousins like Java). Also consider that, when the Gods of the internet weren't writing in Assembly, they programmed in C. That alone carries weight. If you're into the current Object-Oriented Trend right now, then learn C++ or Objective-C. Both are cross platform but Objective-C is mainly used in OSX and iOS programming. However you should still learn C, on the basis that it will make you a better programmer than Java ever will.

It is if you program the next Minecraft, but a more robust programming language like C++ would probably still serve you better. Java and HTML5 based indie games can be a bit buggy at times.

It is if you program the next Minecraft, but a more robust programming language like C++ would probably still serve you better. Java and HTML5 based indie games can be a bit buggy at times.

Java will help you understand object-oriented programming better. It's also used for Hadoop and Android programming (to mention a few), so there are plenty of jobs requiring Java knowledge. Having said that, I'd be wary of hiring a programmer without an engineering degree; programming is so much more than simply being able to code.

I like C# better, though. C should generally be avoided unless we're talking very low-level programming. For game programming, C++ is the superior option.

The question to me doesn't seem to make much sense.

Is it worthwhile to learn anything? I suppose it is if it interests you.

If your asking if its a better way to spend your time and effort rather than to learn another programming language then I would have to ask what you want out of a programming language.

We have so many programming languages in the first place because each has its own unique strengths and weaknesses.

Javas strength is its cross-platform compatibility and how it tends towards not requiring a manual install process.

Its weakness is poor performance and buggy nature (anytime you run your code on top of someone else's you compound the errors and inevitably run into problems that simply cannot be fixed on your end).

The software world is moving away from bloated object oriented languages like java, and there is growing opinion that object orientation was way over hyped. It's not the be all, end all, like it used to be. I am interested in more web relevant languages like javascript, python and erlang.

I disagree with this I think someone will learn a lot more about programming starting with C but I would never recommend staying with it as it's dead in the everyday business world (business = games dev as well)

I would even go as far as saying you should use Assembler after C to understand the CPU better.

After you have them under your belt you can target any language which suites the sector of development you want to go into.

As for Java TBH I wouldn't trust oracle with it's future. And it is really a poor choice usually for most development there are simply other languages better suited. Always remember a language is just a tool and you should always use the correct tool for the job. If that means learning a new language for a particular task just do it you will learn there is alot of cross over once you have learn one you have learnt many it's more about the frameworks that back the language that matter.

Although I personally dislike Java, it is a valuable language to learn because it opens up doors in the booming market of Android development. I'm thinking of trying to learn it again for this reason.

And C is not dead by any means. It's still used for the Linux kernel and for the vast majority of open source software, including Apache, MySQL, and others.

Whether it is "worth" studying depends a lot on why you are considering it.

If looking for employment in a field where it is commonly used, or to work on open-source projects where it is the bulk of the code-base, then it is pragmatic to learn it, whatever the pro's and con's of it as a language. The same could be said of any other language.

I am personally very wary of people who say you should "never" use language X, or that language Y is the only one worth learning. Learning at least a little of languages that you don't use every day is useful, if only so that you can intelligently discuss their strengths and weaknesses with other programmers that you might want or need to collaborate with.

Java is neat, it teaches you quite a lot of things that carry over to many different languages. Personally, I always think it is good to learn a language. Each language is different and has benefits and flaws, so each one has a place to be used and teaches you something different.

Also Java has an extensive API Library that is really well documented.

Studying assembly can be useful to understand optimization better (you can speed up performance significantly by avoiding the DIV instruction, for instance). There are no jobs requiring it, though, unless you happen to land a job programming shaders.

Java offers many job oportunities, and is used for Android. Moreover, it can also be combined with Unity3D. People love to hate Java because of Swing and AWT.