Java and the shift to net-centric computing

Java is an object-oriented programming language with a syntax similar to C and C++, only simpler. Because Java is an interpreted language, the typical C or C++ compile-link-load-test-debug cycle is reduced. Java development environments actually let the entire software-development life cycle take place within a Web browser. The author discusses some basic and advanced features of Java, including garbage collection, multithreading and application programming interfaces.