Java Vs C Language: Which One You Should Choose In 2023?

Java Vs C Language: Which One You Should Choose In 2023?

When it comes to programming languages, there are many options out there, but two of the most popular and widely used ones are Java and C. Both of these languages have their advantages and disadvantages, so it can be difficult to decide which one to learn or use for application development.

When the question “which language is perfect to use for web application?” comes up, the obvious answer is “as per requirement.” You want to make sure you’re investing your time and resources towards learning a language that you can thrive in. When selecting between Java Vs C, you’re making a choice between two of the oldest programming languages still in widespread, and mainstream use. Thus the question to ask is: what are the differences between Java and C?

Let’s discuss the history of these two languages that makes up an essential part of computer science history in general, the differences between Java and C, and which language is better to use under which circumstances.

Introduction to C

C is a programming language that was designed & developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie. The language was developed with the goal of writing system software. It is a perfect language for building firmware systems. The language combines the features of Low level and High-level Language. Thus it’s considered a middle-level Language.

It is a low-level language because it allows developers to interact directly with the hardware. This means that C code is often faster than higher-level languages such as Java or Python, and reliable for enterprise application development since its initiation. C is also the language of choice for many operating systems, such as Windows and Linux.  

Moreover, it is a compiled language, which means it must be compiled before it can be run on a computer. The process of compilation converts the source code into an executable form that can be understood by the computer. This makes C code more efficient than interpreted languages, like JavaScript.

Being a procedural language, it allows you to write programs in a series of steps. Thus, it is easy to debug and maintain C codes. And you can track the flow of your code step by step. Additionally, C’s syntax is relatively simple, making it easy to learn.

In short, C programming language is a powerful, widely used language that is great for system programming and embedded systems. Its ability to interact with hardware directly makes it fast, while its procedural nature and simple syntax make it easy to debug and maintain.

Features of C

• Easy to learn
• Structured language
• Known to build efficient programs
• C is a basic and core computer programming language.
• Portable and extensible programming language.
• Small in size as it includes only 32 keywords, this makes it simple to learn.

Introduction to Java

Java is a multi-platform, object-oriented, and network-centric web application development language. It is among the most used programming language. It is a popular computing platform, and it was released in 1995 by Sun Microsystem. It was later acquired by Oracle Corporation. Seeing its popular features, many brands have focused on the development of enterprise applications in Java to enjoy business benefits and remain competitive.

It is an interpreted language, meaning that it can run on any platform, as long as the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is installed. It also has garbage collection, which means that it automatically cleans up unused memory, making it easier to manage memory usage.

It is a statically-typed language, meaning that variables must be declared before they are used. This makes code easier to read and debug because there is less room for errors. Additionally, Java has a very large library of classes, which provides developers with a wide range of functions and features that can be used in their programs.

Java is an excellent choice for developing robust applications and it is used by many companies and organizations around the world. So, you can hire Java developers if you want to create scalable & robust solutions. In addition to being extremely powerful and versatile, Java is also highly secure. This makes it a great choice for developing programs that require security and reliability.  

Features of Java

• Write code once and run it on any computing platform.
• It is known to build object-oriented applications.
• It is a multithreaded programming language with default memory management.
• Being network-centric it facilitates distributed computing.

Java vs C: Application Of C Programming Languages:

The C Programming Language is used in many different fields. Here are the major examples of its application:

• It contains all the core features of other languages, so it can be easily learned to boost programming skills.
• C is very useful when writing code that depends heavily on low-level hardware controls.
• It’s used for making compilers and operating systems.
• It’s also frequently used to develop databases – MySQL (an open-source relational database) uses it extensively.
• C has been widely used to create system applications and desktop applications – including word processors such as Microsoft Office 365.
• In addition, thanks to its high performance and easy portability between different computer systems, C has been very popular among developers building web browsers and extensions – including Google Chrome.

Java vs C: Applications of Java:

The many different types of applications that can be written with the Java language include:

• Android Apps
• Enterprise Software
• Scientific Computing Applications
• Big Data Analytics (a large-scale analysis of data)
• Java programming of hardware devices – these would include things like servers running Apache, JBoss, or GlassFish.

Java Vs C : Pros Of C:

Let us now look at some of the pros and cons of C being used as a programming language: –

• C is an open-source procedure-oriented programming language that allows fast compilation. The simplicity of the syntax makes it very easy to learn how it works.  
• There are plenty of built-in libraries available in C, which are many times more than other languages offer.  
• It is also possible to extend this programmatically via preprocessor tools such as GCC or Clang which generates code from a file that takes care of things automatically.  
• Finally, because this program can be written by humans who know what they are doing, it means there’s less risk involved when coding with this program!

Java vs C: Pros Of Java

Here are a few things you might want to know about why you might want to choose Java:

• Java supports object-oriented programming, making it highly sought after for developers who are looking to construct software products that solve actual-world problems.
• Java is versatile – with built-in classes and libraries, there’s something for everyone, able to deal with every type of scenario.
• Java also supports multitasking, allowing programmers to run different sections of code at the same time, resulting in increased performance in your programs.
• Java has an extensive community of enthusiastic developers plus some great documentation written by experts. This can really give you a leg up when learning how to program!

Key Differences to Explore

1. Object-Oriented vs Procedural

One major difference is that Java is an object-oriented programming language while C is a procedural language. Java implements objects that are everything is modeled as an object having certain qualities and capabilities. These objects interact with one another in specific ways as per their identities.

C, on the other hand, is a procedural language, putting data through different processes as the program executes. A procedural program begins from the top and goes down in a linear fashion.

2. Low Level vs High Level

C is a low-level language means writing code is closer to the machine code that is low level. It uses syntax that you’ll identify with the English language, but it is attached to machine code.

Java is a high-level language and has a syntax that’s closer to human language. Because of this Java is simple to learn and use.

If programming languages are compared to human languages, a high-level language is like Spanish is to English. Without training, it is hard to understand, but can be learned. Low-level languages are closer to machine code and are generally considered harder to read than higher-level ones.

3. Interpreted vs Compiled

There’s another important difference that will play a vital role in Java Vs C selection for web application development. Java is a semi-interpreted language implemented with the support of Java Virtual Machine while C is a compiled language.

Whenever a program is written no matter what language, it’s always interpreted by the processor. It involves more steps of translation to run your program whereas a compiled program is similar to have a translated text.

Compiled languages are faster and more efficient than interpreted languages. The program has to be built by the compile before executing. This means an additional step is involved every time changes are made in the program. While interpreted languages can run without extra steps after every change.

4. Memory Management

One major challenge that C programmers have to carry out themselves is memory management. When managing data in C, the developer needs to use calls like ‘malloc’ (memory allocation) and ‘free’ to outline whatever memory their program will require. Java uses a garbage collector to delete objects that are no longer required. In other words, Java manages memory for you.

5. Which is Faster?

C is a fast language and it is possible to write code that is extremely fresh with little overhead. That’s because it is a lower-level language, meaning it doesn’t require the baggage a higher-level language requires. In addition, no built-in garbage collector is present to slow it down, and the language is compiled, meaning the language does not require interpretation on the spot.

Java is first compiled into a lower language, later interpreted. It comprises of automatic garbage collection, and it’s more close to the human language. Because of this C tends to run faster than Java, but the key difference depends on what’s being developed and how well the code has been optimized.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Java programming?

Java is a general-purpose programming language that is concurrent, class-based, object-oriented, and particularly designed to have as few dependencies. A virtual machine, called the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), is used to run the byte code on every platform.

2. What is a Java Web application?

A Java web application is a collection of dynamic resources and static resources. A Java web application is easily deployed as a Web Archive file.

3. Why is Java used for Web applications?

Java is the first name that can be used for building complex web applications and for the software platform that used this programming language. It is widely used by development companies to build secure, robust, and scalable web applications.

4. How much does it cost to develop a web application?

The cost of web application development is calculated on the basis of features and functionality that needs to be integrated within.

5. Is Java harder than C?

Java uses objects, while C uses functions. Java is simpler to learn and use because it’s higher level, while C can do more things and is faster because it has close-to-machine level functionality. 

6. What are the main differences between C and Java?

C is a low-level language because it binds the bridges between machine level (lowest) and high-level languages. Java is a higher-level language because translation of java code happens when compiling or interpreting, which ultimately turns java code into machine language.

7. Is Java safer than C?

While there may be some vulnerabilities specific to the individual programmer, most major exploitation issues are usually due to injection exploits, such as Cross-Site Scripting (XXS) which can occur in any web browser environment. Contrary to this, C is particularly notorious for exploiting vulnerabilities which date back as far as 1980s. As a result, while Java may not be entirely safe from exploitation – it is still considered much more secure when compared to that of other languages like C.

Wrapping Up:

So from the above discussion, we came to the conclusion that C & Java both are two different programming languages. Java is the most popular language serving different industry requirements for the development of web & mobile applications. We can’t deny the fact that C being an old language is also popular. The team of Java Development Company can help you build a scalable, secure & flexible programming language. Contact them to build a successful application.