Java Trends to Watch in 2023
Java is a well-proven programming language used by thousands of developers worldwide. Yet, it is far from reaching its saturation point and is continually evolving.
- Java is a well-proven programming language used by thousands of developers worldwide. Yet, it is far from reaching its saturation point and is continually evolving.
- Java is currently the most popular language by many developers, having been adopted by a wide range of big and small companies from many sectors including finance, insurance, oil & gas, e-commerce, education, healthcare, and government.
Here are the Top 9 Upcoming Java Trends to Watch in 2023
We’ve identified 9 Java trends that we predict will drive Java adoption in the next few years and have set some interesting targets for their success.
Top Java Trends in 2023
1. Java is a First-Class Programming Language
With Kotlin being Java’s next-generation successor, there’s no doubt that Java will evolve, and this will include first-class language support.
The addition of first-class language support in a language is a game-changer because it allows developers to use any of their preferred tools, and not be constrained by the language itself.
- In our research, we found that 80% of developers already use more than one programming language. Many developers will start their careers as programmers of multiple programming languages, and this makes first-class support so powerful because it is a catalyst for developers to adopt and learn new languages.
- The introduction of first-class language support in Java could be a catalyst for the further expansion of Java as a programming language.
Let’s walk through an example: if we look at Java’s feature support as a stack, the support of languages, frameworks, and tooling is the next layer, and when support for first-class language support was released it was the second layer.
2. Java-based Machine Learning and AutoML
One trend that we predict will continue to gain in popularity is the introduction of Java-based ML frameworks.
- Over time, machine learning algorithms have become more sophisticated, and so has the computing infrastructure that powers them.
- Today, there is a growing movement towards open source, and many of the modern ML techniques such as neural networks and deep learning algorithms are open source and are well suited to run on public cloud environments.
- With the explosion in the growth of the use of AI, the move towards public cloud, and the rise of open source, it makes sense that the trend will continue.
The introduction of open source, public cloud, and open source will bring Java and Java-based frameworks into the machine learning and auto-ML space.
3. Java Becomes a Platform-as-a-Service
One trend we predict will continue is the rise of platform-as-a-service. PaaS is a form of cloud infrastructure. And as cloud infrastructures and technology evolve, it means it is becoming more accessible.
The rise of PaaS means that the onus of provisioning the infrastructure to run an application is taken off the application developer’s hands. This means the developer no longer has to provide the platform. With cloud infrastructure, once the infrastructure is provisioned, any application can run.
With Java having support for cloud environments, we expect to see more support for Java-based PaaS applications.
4. Java is on Fire for Hyper-convergence
Hyperconvergence is the creation of systems that are made up of a group of components. These components are typically loosely coupled, allowing for a high degree of configuration and automation.
- Hyperconvergence allows for a system of computers and devices to act as a single system. It also has benefits for security, scalability, and automation.
- Hyperconvergence is a technology that is starting to gain a lot of traction in the tech industry.
These developments in the hyper-convergence space are interesting, and Java is currently the language that most developers use. The rise of Java in hyper-convergence and the rise of open source will support the growth of the technology, and we predict Java will be a natural fit for hyper-convergence.
5. Reimagine Data
The age of data will continue to evolve. Yet, today’s systems are not built for handling and storing them. Systems today are optimized for data movement, data storage, and data security. The data handling and -storage are typically done on physical disk drives, which are slow and expensive, but they can only store so much.
This is not where we want to be, and for the next 5 to 10 years, we will see continued growth in the use of in-memory databases.
This will also drive Java as a language to build data stores and data infrastructure.
6. Java Becomes a Modern Toolchain
As the industry moves toward containerized and cloud-based environments, the rise of Java-based technologies for these environments will continue.
As Docker, Kubernetes, and Mesos become widely used, we’ll see this shift of technologies to Java-based technologies.
The rise of Docker will drive the adoption of Java and Java-based technologies.
7. Java and Cloud Native
In 2018, we saw a huge amount of activity in the rise of serverless and container environments. In many ways, 2018 saw the cloud-native technology space become a “real thing.”
Yet, we expect the real adoption of cloud-native technology to come in the next 5 to 10 years. This is where the trend of Java is used for the infrastructure of cloud computing will come to the forefront.
8. Java Becomes the Language for Machine Learning and AI
One of the things that Java is unique is that it is a multiparadigm language. Multiparadigm is an umbrella term for the theory of software development that says a language is not just a tool, but it is also a framework.
In this case, Java is a general-purpose, modern tool for a variety of programming styles and tools. Java is both a general-purpose programming language and also supports ML tools.
With the rise of ML and AI algorithms, as we move to machine learning, the rise of ML and AI in Java is likely to continue. The rise of Java will drive the adoption of machine learning and AI by making it simple for developers to adopt and learn.
9. Java Keeps Its Dominance
When you read our article on Java’s future, we make no predictions about what will happen but instead show the possible future of the technology. This way, you have an objective, unbiased view of how the technology will evolve, and how you might benefit.
Java’s popularity will never be in jeopardy. Java is the most widely used programming language, having been adopted by companies, communities, and governments.
Java has a well-earned reputation as a language that works for both startups and large, enterprise-focused companies. The language itself is mature and there are no significant new additions in the works. Java is considered mature in terms of language and framework support, with a wide range of tools and frameworks, and it will remain so.
Conclusion
We’ve taken a look at the future of Java and predict that the language will continue to evolve, with the introduction of new technologies and the adoption of new paradigms.
This may sound surprising, because historically, Java has been stuck in the past. Yet, the rise of ML and AI means Java has a new identity – one leading the adoption of these technologies.
With ML and AI being used to do everything from search engine indexing to automated trading to AI-based chatbots, and ML-based self-driving cars, we expect Java to take center stage in the adoption of these technologies.
