Java is an object-oriented language, similar to C++, but more dynamic and simplifiend to eliminate possible programming errors. A Java program is both compiled and interpreted ( see Unit 24 ). First, the source code
( a file with a .java extension ) is compiled and converted into a format called bytecode ( a file with a .class extension ) , which can then be executed by a Java interpreter, ( see Fig. 1 ). Compiled Java code and run on most computers because there are Java interpreters, known as Java Virtual Machines, for most operating systems.