Why is Java Platform Independent

What is Platform?

The environment in which a program runs is known as a platform. Environment includes software, hardware, libraries, and dependencies.

What does platform independence mean?

When a programming language can run on different operating systems without any modifications or adjustments is known as platform independence. The feature of platform independence can be achieved when code is created in a certain language and can be executed on different operating systems by copying and runs without any error. This concept is known as platform-independent.

What is a platform-independent language?

Platform-independent languages can run on different hardware architectures and operating systems without any change. Applications or programs created in platform-independent languages can run on a variety of platforms. Platform-independent languages are also known as cross-platform languages.

Some examples of platform-independent languages are Java, Python, C#, and JavaScript.

What is the advantage of platform independence?

It allows the developer to develop code on one platform and deploy on different platforms without any changes. It provides flexibility, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness for application development and distribution.

Why is Java Platform Independent?

Java is a class-based, object-oriented programming language designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It allows application developers to Write Once And Run Anywhere (WORA), meaning that compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Java without recompilation.

One of the most prominent features of Java is its platform independence. It means that compiled Java code (bytecode) can run on a variety of operating systems, but the JVM must be installed.

Basically, a program is a set of instructions written in a human-readable language. A compiler compiles the program or source code into a format that machines can easily understand.

Therefore, one can say that a compiler is a translator that converts code from a human-readable format to executable code. The executable code may be run directly by the machine or may be an intermediate representation that runs on the virtual machine. In Java, that intermediate representation is known as Java Bytecode.

How does Java provide platform Independence?

Java provides the ability to be "Write Once, Run Anywhere" (WORA). It is achieved through the use of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Here's how it works:

• Compilation to Bytecode: When Java code is compiled, it does not convert into machine code directly. Instead, it gets converted into an intermediate code known as bytecode.
• Java Virtual Machine (JVM): The generated bytecode can then be executed on any platform that has a JVM. The JVM acts as an interpreter, converting bytecode into platform-specific machine code during runtime.

For example, if we write a Java program on a Windows machine, we can run that program on Linux, macOS, or any other system without changing the code.

Why is Java platform-independent, but the JVM is Platform-Dependent?

It is important to note that JVM is platform dependent. So, for the Windows operating system, we have the JVM specific to Windows. For the Macintosh operating system, we have the Macintosh-specific operating system, and the same concept is applied to the Linux operating system, too.

The same is evident when we go to the websites to download the JDK (JVM is part of JDK). A list of operating system-specific JDKs is shown, and the user has to decide which one is suitable for accomplishing the task. Observe the following screenshots.

For Windows,

For Linux,

For Macintosh,

By looking at these screenshots, it is evident that JVM is not platform-specific.

Why is Java Not Completely Platform-independent?

• High-level code is translated into machine code to run a program.
• Java high-level code is initially compiled into bytecode using the javac compiler.
• The Just In Time(JIT) interpreter/compiler then translates this bytecode into machine code.
• The Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which incorporates JIT as its compiler, is dependent on the platform.
• The JVM selects the bytecode, determines the platform, and sends it to JIT for conversion into machine code, which is also platform-specific.

Therefore, it can be concluded that Java is not an entirely platform-independent language.

What are the differences between platform-dependent and platform-independent?

Platform Independent MCQs

1. What does "Write Once, Run Anywhere" mean in the context of Java?

1. Java code is compiled into machine-specific code
2. Java can only run on Windows systems
3. Compiled Java code (bytecode) can run on any system with a JVM
4. Java code runs without a compiler

2. Which component is responsible for executing Java bytecode?

1. Java Compiler
2. Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
3. Java Development Kit (JDK)
4. Java Runtime Environment (JRE)

3. What type of code does the Java compiler generate?

1. Machine code
2. Assembly code
3. Bytecode
4. Source code

4. Why is Java considered platform-independent?

1. Because Java is written in C
2. Because bytecode runs on JVM, which is available on multiple platforms
3. Because Java code is not compiled
4. Because Java does not need memory management

5. Which of the following is platform-dependent in Java?

1. Java Bytecode
2. Java Source Code
3. Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
4. Java Classes