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From Oak to Java?

 
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How did the name Java come to be. I know when the language was originally created it was called Oak based on a copse of Oak trees outside the window of the office the developers sequestered themselves in. But where did Java come from?
 
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The desire to annoy people with inane coffee terms?
[ September 14, 2006: Message edited by: Rusty Shackleford ]
 
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Originally posted by Rusty Shackleford:
The desire to annoy people with inane coffee terms? ...


The word is not "annoy." It's "entice."
 
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I am pretty sure if you google for "Java History", you'll get tons of stories and timelines.

However, I would take everything with a grain of salt. I remember in 1994, I had about two weeks to learn (and develop demos for) a brand new "browser" -- that uses a new programming language, and API -- in order to show at the SIA event here in New York. Not once, was the term "Oak" mentioned.

Henry
 
marc weber
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Originally posted by Henry Wong:
... However, I would take everything with a grain of salt...


Yeah, details behind the name change seem to be lost in the lore.

I don't know how much salt might be in order, but The Long Strange Trip to Java, purportedly by Patrick Naughton, is an interesting read.
 
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I heard that when asked to name the language, Gosling was looking out a window at an Oak tree and called it Oak. Apparently, when he was told Oak was taken, he was drinking coffee and said "let's call it Java."

I guess it's a good thing he wasn't in a place of ill repute when told about the name conflict, otherwise the name might not be quite so Christian.

When asked to name the remote programming technology, nobody knew what to call it. Someone was like "err...uhm....eye.." and the marketing people said "Great, RMI, let's go with it."

That's the best I can do.

-Cameron
 
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Originally posted by Henry Wong:
I am pretty sure if you google for "Java History", you'll get tons of stories and timelines.

However, I would take everything with a grain of salt. I remember in 1994, I had about two weeks to learn (and develop demos for) a brand new "browser" -- that uses a new programming language, and API -- in order to show at the SIA event here in New York. Not once, was the term "Oak" mentioned.

Henry



What was mentioned, Java?
 
Henry Wong
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Originally posted by Ken Blair:


What was mentioned, Java?



Even upon completion of the project, I never learned the name of the computer language. Now admittedly, due to project time constraints, this was low on my priority list.

Henry
 
Ken Blair
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I asked because I thought the point of the story was to say that they weren't calling it Oak, i.e. they were calling it something else.
 
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In the school study unit I am studying regarding java, it mentions Oak and how it got a bad reputation when they were trying to "sell" the idea of the new language (most people didn't like the whole idea of the concepts basically), and when they needed a new name for it they figured Java after one of their many trips to the coffe store during work..

I don't know if this is 100% Accurate, but it was in a nationally accredited school book..
 
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Hi,
somewhere i heard OAK as Object Architectureal Kernel, I am not sure about longform but it sounds sensible.


-Sachin!!!
 
Tim Farkas
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I just wanted to get on and say thanks to everyone for their help. I am a Technical Recruiter and we try and hold education classes every couple of weeks to help us non-tech people understand the Technology we are recruiting for. I was teaching a brief overview of JAVA and the question came up. So again thanks to everyone for your help.
 
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