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It's the name. It's gotta be the name. For a complex programming language, Java has gained enormous popular appeal. Folks who wouldn't know a CGI script from an SGI box are sure about this: Java is hot, and they need it. Developed by Sun Microsystems, Java is an object-oriented programming language, similar to - though sleeker than - C++. It was designed to meet the needs of programmers building applications for networked, cross-platform environments, such as the Web. Java allows programmers to develop small, stand-alone applications (called "applets") that can be transferred across the Net to run independently on a local computer, rather than relaying information back and forth to a central server. "Great!" you say, "sign me up!" Well, not so fast. Java has only recently made the leap to popular browsers. And though it's integrated into Netscape Navigator 3.0+ and Internet Explorer 3.0b for Wi ndows, the implementation is still buggy and unreliable. But don't write it off. Within the next year, you can expect to see the Net's functionality increase exponentially, and Java-based applications will likely lead the way. Now, you may be wondering, are Java, HotJava, and JavaScript all the same thing? The answer is No! No! and No! HotJava is Sun's Java-compatible browser, which was primarily developed as a proof of concept for Java, and is ava ilable only for Unix platforms. JavaScript is best described as a bastardization of Java. Developed by Netscape as a quick fix - to bring some added functionality to its browsers before they fully supported Java - JavaScript is far less powerful and less secure than the compiled lang uage on which it's based.
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