Java is a viable language that has carved itself a lucrative niche in
the Internet marketplace. More importantly, Java generates significant
interest and questions among our clients. Although media hype is
tiresome and occasionally misleading, Java represents a truly superior
technology. This alone is rarely a guarantee of success, but Java also
has the necessary backing of some of the biggest players in the
industry. From a recruiting standpoint, I have watched Internet-related
technologies quickly gain and lose value and importance in the
marketplace, but with Java, we are seeing the demand continue to rise.

Java's History: The Short Version
Several of my clients have recently asked me to provide a basic
explanation of how this technology came about. As you may have gleaned
from the swirling hype, Java originally began from the seeds of a
project named Green, which was started by Sun to create a system of
distributed code for household, consumer electronics -- so the microwave
could talk to the refrigerator and the coffee machine. Originally, the
plan was to use C++, but the Green team needed something simpler and
more secure and eventually spawned a new language called Oak -- the
predecessor to Java. Oak was built as a lean, mean, secure language for
networks, and at one point Sun presented it in a bid to build the
ill-fated interactive set-top TV box.

Though the bid was lost and Oak was never able to find a home, it just
so happened that Mark Andreesen (the creator of Mosaic and currently the
Vice President of Technology at Netscape) was at that time putting
together the first browser for the World Wide Web. It soon became
apparent that this system of distributed code, designed originally for
household networks, meshed perfectly with the Web.

Java is much like C++ and, according to most of the engineers that we
place in this field, the migration is not very difficult. Although small
Java applications, dubbed "applets," can be embedded into HTML files
seamlessly, this is no markup language. Java is a serious programming
language with the capability of building powerful, stand-alone
applications. (The HotJava browser was written in Java.) Its first and
most effective uses, however, will undoubtedly be in the form of
applets.

While the Web allows users to view all kinds of interesting text and
graphics through an easy-to-use graphical interface, Java adds
interactivity. These applets, or "live objects," caffeinate the client
side with smart forms, spreadsheets that can calculate, and animations.
Although the animations and sounds made possible by Java drive much of
the hype, the truly useful and profitable uses will be less flashy --
such as tying databases into the Web and building workflow applications
a la Lotus Notes. (For a more detailed version of Java's history, see
"Java: The inside story", a July, 1995 SunWorld Online feature story.)

A Whole New Paradigm
As Bill Gates is realizing, Java stands to do more than simply
revolutionize the Web. Rather than worry about creating a Net standard,
Sun circumvented the whole issue with a platform-independent solution.
Java code is first compiled into an architecture-neutral bytecode, which
is then made to run by an interpreter built into the browser on the
client side. This could very well obviate the need for shrink-wrapped
software, made to run on specific operating systems. Conceivably, users
could one day download Java word processors and spreadsheets to run on
sophisticated Web browsers -- which are quickly beginning to look more
like "platforms" than merely "browsers."

What It Takes
I can predict safely that Java engineers will remain in Pencom's "Hot
Careers List". Our recruiters explain to candidates who want to move
into this technology that it is important they be:

* Well-versed in the object paradigm and have experience in C++ or
Smalltalk
* Have a good grasp of the Web and what is currently possible using
HTML and CGI scripting
* Understand the concepts behind Lotus Notes and other workflow
applications
* Be familiar with databases and how they could tie into a Web
browser interface

Major corporations will need both seasoned system administrators to set
up servers and do the necessary CGI scripting and Web developers to
design the pages and organize the content. At the same time, we are
indeed seeing a demand for Java.

In terms of managing your career, it is important to understand that
while Java is indeed a "hot," lucrative career path, companies are still
figuring out how to use the technology and recognizing that the
possibilities are endless. My personal advice is to begin preparing your
Java skills while at your current position:

* Start reading everything you can on the subject
* Request Internet related projects within your company
* Propose Java solutions to projects
* Become active in local user groups

If you are asking if Java is hot and will continue gaining market share
and flourish on the Web, I say unequivocally yes. If you are asking if
this is the right career path for you, that depends. Are you comfortable
with the object oriented paradigm of programming? Are you fascinated
with the Web and all that it can currently do? As a rule, go with what
you like and the money will follow.

» posted by ITworld staff

ITworld

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