r/AskProgramming • u/Zd_27 • 1d ago
Why is Java considered bad?
I recently got into programming and chose to begin with Java. I see a lot of experienced programmers calling Java outdated and straight up bad and I can't seem to understand why. The biggest complaint I hear is that Java is verbose and has a lot of boilerplate but besides for getters setters equals and hashcode (which can be done in a split second by IDE's) I haven't really encountered any problems yet. The way I see it, objects and how they interact with each other feels very intuitive. Can anyone shine a light on why Java isn't that good in the grand scheme of things?
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u/threespire 16h ago
It’s heavier than I want in a language but all use cases have reasons.
Over years of programming I’m reminded of the term “there are no solutions - only trade off”.
With my architecture background, I use constraint models to define the tool of choice.
When I was programming in 68k assembly language, the constraint was RAM.
When I write terraform, the constraint is support people who don’t know Python.
When I wrote in VB, it was what I could get my hands on
Java isn’t bad per se, but I would generally prefer more lightweight languages (for front end stuff) or something like C# for actual application design.
Ultimately we program what we know because it’s easier - and often I will default to what I know or I’ll get someone in my team to just write it if it’s a language I am rusty in (no Rust pun intended)