Groovy vs Java: Difference and Comparison

Applications and web pages are written using computer codes that give specific instructions for the computer to perform. There are many languages that are used for this programming and they work in development environments.

Groovy and Java are object-oriented programming languages that are widely used for application development.

Key Takeaways

  1. Groovy is a scripting language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), while Java is an object-oriented programming language.
  2. Groovy supports dynamic typing and closures, which enable more concise code than Java.
  3. Java is more widely adopted and performs better, but Groovy offers greater flexibility and easier syntax.

Groovy vs Java

Groovy is a dynamic scripting language, while Java is an object-oriented programming language. Groovy provides more features and functionalities and it is used for scripting and automation tasks. Java is programming language primarily used for building large-scale and complex applications.

Groovy vs Java

Groovy or Apache Groovy is an object-oriented programming language that is supported by java and is made to function for the Java platform.

It is both a static and a dynamic language and is highly functional with many great features combined with ease of use. Most Java programs also function as intended on Groovy.

Java is an object-oriented programming language that is the most popular and highly used programming language. It is a general-level programming language that is highly customizable and modular.

It was developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and it was later acquired and developed further by Oracle. It is intended to be a high-performance language.

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonGroovyJava
Launch DateThe first version of Groovy was launched by James Strachan on January 2, 2007.It was released first by Sun Microsystems in May 1995.
Main() MethodThe creation of a main() method is not necessary for Groovy programming.The creation of a main() method is necessary for Java for executing programs.
Getters and SettersGetters and setters for use by class members are automatically generated.Getters and setters need to be provided explicitly.
FormatsSemicolons are optional for writing additional statements.Semicolons are necessary for ending every statement and before beginning a new one.
Type of LanguageIt is both combined programming and scripting language.It is a programming language only.

What is Groovy?

Groovy is an object-oriented programming language that was developed in 2007 and received a second version in 2014 that is optionally typed, dynamic, and made for software development on the Java platform.

Groovy can also accept code and programs written in Java as it extends the Java Development Kit.

Java.io.*, java.lang.*, java. math.BigDecimal, java.net.*, groovy.lang.*, groovy. util.*, java.util.*, and java.math.BigInteger is the java packages that are imported by default in Groovy.

Any expression in Groovy is automatically tested and executed as a boolean expression. Groovy’s latest version was released in 2015 and has increased in performance so much that it now rivals Java directly.

Groovy has programming idioms that are unique to it and it also has a lot of code shared with Java, making programs written in Java also run on Groovy.

It has integrated support for markup languages which are the languages that web pages are written in, which gives Groovy its dual nature as a programming and scripting language.

Software like Grails and other Domain-Specific Languages (DSL) are especially beneficial because they are developed on Groovy.

Apache Groovy is open source in nature, therefore it is constantly being improved and furthered by independent developers. Many large corporations such as Starbucks use Groovy in developing their online presence.

What is Java?

Java is an object-oriented programming language developed by James Gosling in 1995 and Java 1.0 was released in 1996. It is highly modular and has a write-once run anywhere (WORA).

Programs written in Java are converted into bytecode which is executed by a Java Virtual Machine. This 2-step interpretation method is used because one of the main incentives for the development of Java is portability.

This method creates portability because end users can execute bytecode using Java runtime environments like BlueJ.

Programming in Java is really easy to learn, intuitive and perhaps the biggest advantage of Java is it being platform-independent, which means that code written in Java can be run on any system and transferred as well.

Although programs written in Java require more memory, the advantages outweigh their disadvantages.

Java syntax is heavily inspired by languages that preceded it, like C and C++ which were also faster than Java. Special features of Java include applet development, servelet development, and JavaFX development.

Java is also very important in the development of android software, which is the largest mobile operating system in the world.

It is one of the best general-purpose programming languages and is the most widely used one for web development currently.

java

Main Differences Between Groovy and Java

  1. The default access modifier state in Groovy is a package whereas, in Java, the default access mode is public.
  2. There is no concept of autoboxing in Groovy as everything is treated as an object whereas, in Java, there are primitive data types and wrapper classes to do autoboxing.
  3. Groovy can be integrated with any application and web development tool whereas Java can be used only with a platform that supports Java Virtual Machine.
  4. Groovy includes features of not only Java but also Python, Smalltalk, etc making it more useful than Java itself.
  5. “As”, “Define” and “trait” are keywords in Groovy but cannot be used as keywords in Java.
References
  1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kV8GYTCDf9AC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=groovy&ots=mpkYF2SO90&sig=s67SvXEYjwHX78H7gGs_C7ztpK8
  2. https://www.acs.ase.ro/Media/Default/documents/java/ClaudiuVinte/books/ArnoldGoslingHolmes06.pdf

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023

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