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Java vs. JavaScript. Object oriented vs. non-object-oriented. There’s been a steady debate brewing in developer circles in recent years about the best technology stack to use for building enterprise applications. Do you go with the tried and true Java with its focus on enterprise business applications, or does JavaScript appeal to you – because of its ubiquity in web applications and UI interfaces?

Most companies already have strong preferences for a particular technology. But if they are kicking the tires and open to alternatives, there are certainly lots of factors to take into consideration. Most important are matters of performance, integration, scalability, maintainability, and security.

For example, a financial services company might need to migrate its legacy mainframes to a microservices architecture and develop a mobile app for consumers. Or maybe a fintech startup is pioneering in conversational banking and wants to know what language would be the best for building a voice-enabled app for consumers.

These are real problems and challenges for many companies today. In this article, we dig into the pros and cons of Java vs. JavaScript (or, in our case, NodeJS). This assessment is based on an actual scenario that arose a few years ago on a client project for a piece of middleware that applied data changes to the client’s mobile application front end. The client’s architect team suggested we try NodeJS.

As a software development company that specializes in full stack .NET, Java, and JavaScript, this started as a conversation about the pros and cons of each platform, based on capabilities such as integration, performance, and maintainability.

For good measure, we also discuss IDEs and touch briefly on the debate over object-oriented vs. functional programming. This article is all the result of our ongoing conversation as a practice of continuous learning, friendly debate, and pride in each developers’ “home language.”

Integration

Software integration is about bringing together discrete sub-systems to create a holistic, unified, system. Integrated systems have better over performance and are easier to manage.

NodeJS

Pro:

• NodeJS is a good match for high performance operations including processing responses and systems requests.
• It works best as long as there are not calculations, arithmetic equations, or CPU intensive operations.

Con: 

• Single threaded event loop cannot compete with Java for handling multiple concurrent events, especially at high peak times such as Black Friday.

Java

Pro:

• Provides better tools for manipulating workflow and integration layers.
• Stronger at complex workflows.

Con:

• Doesn’t match NodeJS for performance on matters of aggregation or integration layers.

WINNER 

Depends on the type of workflow complexity, though NodeJS edges out on overall integration capabilities.

Performance

Performance is a metric that measures how fast a software operates, usually measured in terms of response time or throughput. Performance engineering has emerged in recent years within many organizations as a set of best practices to drive increased efficiencies in the SDLC process, especially for identifying bottlenecks earlier in development.

NodeJS

Pro:

• Better at managing synchronized operations for blocking requests.
• Java and other tools and frameworks would typically give good performance in this area but are too resource intensive.

Con:

• Sub-par performance for hashing algorithms, encryption, decryption, or CPU operations. Java, Python, and C# all have better tools for this.
• NodeJS can serve very large user bases. However, in cases of high I/O or lengthy process, it can experience delays and blocking requests in the background.

Java

Pro:

• Multi-threading feature enables simultaneous running of two or more parts of a program for maximum CPU utilization.
• Leads to better overall performance without heavy overhead or bottlenecks.

Con:

• o To match Java’s efficiencies, NodeJS did apply a clustering feature that enables users to create child processes that each run on their own single thread in order to handle high loads.

WINNER 

Java*

* It can be argued that Node does a very good job of handling concurrent requests since mega companies like Netflix and PayPal use NodeJS to build their server-side applications. However, there are a few points to consider:

• NodeJS is not used on all their systems but only very specific components.
• Twitter underwent a major migration to Scala (Java).
• NodeJS is best served for I/O operations that are only a few microseconds. For instance, this applies in network applications where operation latency between request and response on the server side is as minimal as possible.

Maintainability

From a software development perspective, maintainability is defined as follows: "The ease with which a software system or component can be modified to correct faults, improve performance or other attributes, or adapt to a changed environment." One approach to maintaining good code is to create clean code. To better understand the nature of maintainability, it’s helpful to understand more about clean code.

What about "clean code"?

In software engineering, clean code refers to code that is easy to read and change. This seems simple enough, but there are a lot of complexities that arise when clean code is compared to both object-oriented and functional programming frameworks. Let’s break this down by pointing to how Java and JavaScript developers both approach clean code.

NodeJS

Pro:

• With increased adoption of NodeJS, more options and better tools are available for “clean code” best practices.
• JavaScript allows for more freedom to custom build applications to your preferences.

Con:

• No strong clean code architecture references exist in JavaScript.
• There are a variety of JavaScript standards but considerable differences exist for certain subtypes.

Java

Pro:

• Long-standing, large, open source community that is strong and stable. 
• Stable enterprise software drive by Sun then Oracle and time-tested by many large companies over the years. 

Con:

• Java perceived as stubborn and rigid when it comes to design principles, which can cause lots of boiler plate code to be added. 

TypeScript (open source superset of JavaScript, which transcompiles to the language)

Pro:

• Enhances the readability of JavaScript code by ensuring modules and components are organized in a meaningful way.
• While TypeScript is not at the level of Java, it has enhanced JavaScript a lot and has the capability to become just as maintainable as Java.

Con:

• TypeScript can also be misused a lot like Java or any object-oriented function.

WINNER 

Java*

*Even though Java can be a difficult language, many developers are drawn to its maintainability. This means they will often challenge themselves by learning how to separate the code to make it as future proof, extendable, and maintainable as possible.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

An IDE is a software application that provides computer programmers with a comprehensive framework for software development often consisting of a source code editor, build automation tools, and a debugger.

A favorite IDE used at Integrant is Visual Studio Code, which is a free source-code editor made by Microsoft for Windows, Linux and macOS, and includes basic support for most programming languages.

We prefer VS Code over Jet Brains IDE as it easily enables users to view code quality, offers suggestions and alerts for common mistakes, and makes recommendations for how to split or divide code functions.

Pro:

• Open source and free (don’t have to create a license).
• Small companies or people don’t have to pay which means they can dedicate more money to marketing and business development.
• Lightweight with many extensions.

Con:

• Does not come with smart suggestions for JavaScript

Debate: Object-oriented vs. functional programming?

A final point in this discussion concerns the object-oriented vs. functional programming debate. In various online tech forums, articles, and podcasts, this has become an ongoing point of discussion in recent years.

To object orient or not to object orient? Functional programming vs. object oriented? Is one approach better than the other? As is often the case, the answer is – it depends! Here are the essential points to consider:

• Realize that your programming objectives can be achieved in several ways.
• Leverage the right team and skillsets to get the most out of your code.
• Functional programming inherits concepts of OOP, which is creating a hybrid approach (new tipping point in the software industry).
• Background matters a lot when building a new application.
• NodeJS has a flat learning curve, but this still requires best practices for the language to ensure you’re building maintainable code.
• Java developers can easily pickup NodeJS – they already have the basics, including a strong predisposition to “clean code” best practices.
• NodeJS has a lot of frameworks for organically creating more clean code. 
• We recommend List.js to help build clean maintainable code in JavaScript.

Takeaways

Our engineers love a good debate. However, when it comes to software development and the question of Java vs. JavaScript, we found that the answers aren’t so clear cut. Following a client challenge a few years ago to explore JavaScript, we took the opportunity to dig in and explore NodeJS as a viable option for enterprise application development.

So what's the worst answer when it comes to debating Java vs. JavaScript?  It depends!

While Java was the winner for this particular project, when it comes to complex, multi-factored topics, the answer of which programming language is better will rely heavily on your business goals, desired solutions, along with any constraints whether it's time, skillset, resources, and beyond. JavaScript is very good for modern network applications, while Java has traditionally focused on enterprise apps and core business logic. But the lines are blurring and in the era of digital transformation, each language is quickly being adopted to new use cases and contexts.

At Integrant our mission is to help you achieve your business goals and become a digital first company. No matter whether your preference is Java or JavaScript, we have the capabilities, skills, and expertise to help turn your vision into reality and build elegant and useful solutions that please your customers. We would be more than happy to share a demo of our work!

Contact us today to learn how we can partner together on your next project.

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