What are the things Java got right?
- by hamletdarcy
What are the things that Java (the language and platform) got categorically right? In other words, what things are more recent programming languages preserving and carrying forward?
Some easy answer are: garbage collection, a VM, lack of pointers, classloaders, reflection(?)
What about language based answers?
Please don't list the things Java did wrong, just right.
(note by Mark Harrison)
This is an interesting and useful question, especially for those of us who don't use java regularly. I'm voting for reopening. Please don't close as argumentative, as it doesn't seem to be causing any arguments.