Introduction to Java

Java is a high-level, class-based programming language designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It's a popular language for building enterprise-scale applications and Android apps.

Developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems in 1995, Java was initially called 'Oak'. It was designed for interactive television, but it was too advanced for the digital cable television industry at the time.

Java embodies the principle of 'Write Once, Run Anywhere' (WORA), meaning compiled Java code can run on all platforms without recompilation. Java applications are typically compiled to bytecode that can run on any Java virtual machine (JVM).

Unlike languages like C++, Java has an automated garbage collection mechanism. This means programmers don't manually control the allocation and de-allocation of memory, reducing errors and improving efficiency.

Java boasts an extensive collection of class libraries, also known as the Java API. These pre-built classes support numerous tasks from data structures to networking and graphical user interface (GUI) construction.

Java was the default programming language for Android until the introduction of Kotlin as an alternative in 2017. Most Android apps are still written in Java, leveraging Google's Android API.

Java is continuously evolving. Its current version, as of the knowledge cutoff in 2023, includes features like modules for better encapsulation of code and additional garbage collectors to optimize performance on large-scale applications.