Java

Java is a programming language that is strongly based on the programming language C++. The important aspect of Java is that that final application is compiled into byte-code that can run on any system that has a Java run time environment installed. That is, the final application is not restricted to run under a particular operating system (e.g. Microsoft Windows, Linux, Solaris, OS/2, Apple Mac) or on a particular architecture (e.g. Intel x86, SPARC, PowerPC).

For a good example of what can be achieved using Java applets, please take a look at SimCell. These applets were developed to simulate a cellular phone whilst being embedded in a web page.

Java is also a popular choice for web application development or for use in application servers such as JBoss or WebSphere which implement the J2EE standard.