What is java? How java is platform independent? Why java is so popular and still considered as a winner in IT sector?

What is java?
Java is a hardware and software independent programming language.

Hardware independent means - it can run on any type of processor like 32 bit or 64 bit processor or any other type of processor.

Software independent means - it can run on any type of operating system like windows, unix, linux etc.

How java is hardware independent? -   when you install java in system, jdk(java development kit) get installed. 

Inside jdk, jvm (java virtual machine), jre(java run time environment), other tools and libraries are installed. 

what is jvm - It's a piece of code that converts .java file into .class file. This .class file is called as Byte code.

what is jre - It contains jvm and set of libraries that provides an environment for the execution.

This jre is responsible to provide hardware independency by providing run time environment.. 

How java is software independent? - This jvm is responsible to provide software independency. When .java file is converted to . class files. These class file can be moved to any other system and executed provided jre installed in that system. 

This is how software dependency can be achieved. 

Who created java?
James Gosling, Mike Sheridan, and Patrick Naughton started the Java language project in 1991.Java is named on the name of an island of indonesia where first coffee was produced.

Versions of java released -

1. JDK Alpha and Beta (1995)  - first version of java released
2. JDK 1.0 (1996)
3. JDK 1.1 (1997)
4. JDK 1.2 (1998)
5. JDK 1.3 (2000)
6. JDK 1.4 (2002)
7. JDK 1.5 (2004)
8. JDK  1.6 (2006)
9. JDK  1.7 (2011)
10. JDK  1.8 (2014)
11. JDK 1.9 (2017)