&lt;p&gt;Java is a programming language that produces software for multiple platforms. When a programmer writes a Java application, the compiled code (known as bytecode) runs on most operating systems (OS), including Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Java derives much of its syntax from the C and C++ programming languages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Java was developed in the mid-1990s by James A. Gosling, a former computer scientist with Sun Microsystems.&lt;/p&gt;