Java, the possible Internet programming king

Built for embedded computing and streamlined for real-time, here's why Java is the language of 'Internet of Things'.

Over the years, the Java programming language had become a significant option of programmers across the world. In spite of several programming languages leading the internet programming industry, there are bright chances for Java to emerge as the King of Internet programming in the near future. Revolutionizing the world of embedded computing, here are the reasons why Java will eventually become Internet of Things.

Nineteen years ago David L. Ripps wrote a JavaWorld introduction to Java for embedded systems. Ripps' article is still good reading today, especially if you want to understand how embedded systems programming interacts with connected mobile devices and the Internet of Things. Complementary technologies that enable Internet programming are coming online now. HTTP/2 is a crucial networking protocol that has been updated, in part, to accommodate machine-to-machine communications. Thingsee is an example of a developer kit for the kind of hardware that Internet of Things will demand.

Silicon Valley sage Tim O'Reilly has emphasized that the result will not be just the usual caricature of pointless connections from coffee machines or refrigerators to the 'Net at large. With enough sensors and automation, Internet of Things is really about human augmentation. Java will be a workhorse in that coming disruption.

How Internet of Things works

In September 2014, Andrew C. Oliver wrote that at an implementation level Internet of Things is about teamwork. In this case, the teamwork involves both humans and computers.

As devices communicate not just with human consumers, but with other devices, fundamentally new capabilities emerge. It's not only that your refrigerator will know you have run out of tomatoes, but that it can place an order for more on your behalf. The success of pervasive computing will be that it recedes into the background, working out facts and events and remedies with other connected devices. Only executive-level results will be communicated to human consumers. The triumph of Internet of Things will be in all the things that we no longer have to think about, even as they are seamlessly done for us.

Java for embedded computing

Few people today realize that Java began as a language for embedded computing. Its earliest versions specifically targeted home appliances such as television set-top interfaces. Communication between devices was central to James Gosling's original vision for Java, and he envisioned it being used for not only device-to-consumer but device-to-device communication. Twenty years later, those original design strengths are ready to support the Internet of Things.

Isn't Java too big for embedded systems?

Java wasn't always a viable first choice for embedded systems, mainly because embedded devices are often stingy on computing resources. Assembler, C, and even Python have fared better in systems with constrained memory, CPU power, or other hardware issues. This objection has largely faded away in the past few years, however, as the average size of an embedded environment has grown. Resource requirements have also shrunk with the introduction of new techniques for compiling Java for embedded environments.