Difference between Java and JavaScript

There is a lot of noise around saying – uninstall or disable Java – as it is vulnerable. Studying the topic, I found almost all versions have gone through similar exploits in the past. Sun, and later, Oracle has been keeping up by releasing one or more patch for Java each time in the past too.

With social media’s emergence as a major information-sharing tool, this particular Java exploit was hyped to the extent that many chose to uninstall Java from their machines. Apple, on the other hand, quietly disabled Java without informing its users.

The problem starts when many choose to, knowingly or unknowingly, disable JavaScript in their browser.

Java vs. JavaScript

Wait, there is a huge difference between Java and JavaScript. Java is from Oracle while the latter JavaScript is from Netscape Inc. The former is a programming language requiring a compiler, while the JavaScript is just ASCII (or text, as we call it). I get many questions on how to disable JavaScript.

The procedure varies from browser to browser. On Internet Explorer, you have to open Internet Options -> Security -> Internet and set the Security level for this zone to HIGH so that you are prompted every time a website attempts to run a script. Note that it may ruin your browsing experience, however, with too many popups. To disable Java on Internet Explorer you can use the Add-ons manager to disable Java(tm) Plug-in 2 SSV Helper and Sun Microsystems Deployment Toolkit. But this does not actually suffice. You have to edit some registry settings too, to complete disable Java on IE. More on that here.

Difference between the Java and JavaScript

Java is not JavaScript; neither is JavaScript-based On Java! For those confused, here is an extract from the Java website:

The JavaScript programming language, developed by Netscape, Inc., is not part of the Java platform. JavaScript, does not create applets or stand-alone applications. In its most common form today, JavaScript resides inside HTML documents, and can provide levels of interactivity to web pages that are not achievable with simple HTML.

Listed are key differences between Java and JavaScript.

Java is an OOP programming language, while JavaScript is an OOP scripting language.
Java creates applications that run in a virtual machine or browser, while JavaScript code runs only on a browser.
Java code must be compiled, while JavaScript code is all in text.
They require different plug-ins.

How To Uninstall Java in Windows

The best way to uninstall Jave is to use Programs & Features in Windows 11/10. The process is easy, so I won’t provide a step-by-step procedure here. While trying to uninstall it, you might see more than one record pertaining to Java.

This is because different programs use different versions of Java. If you installed XYZ when Java 5 was the latest, the application will install Java 5 and may forget to update it. Later, if you install ABC, it may install Java 7. Since it is not easy to determine what version each application is using, you might remove all and install again if absolutely necessary.

I really do not understand this, as there is a central update feature available in Windows that should keep the latest version only. I will leave this behavior of having more than one Java version installed to others in the field. You might want to have a look at this post on how to manage Java settings.

Should You Disable JavaScript?

Is disabling JavaScript a good idea? I do not think so nor do the experts offer suggestions on disabling Java without telling the users about the difference between Java and JavaScript. I am not much into web programming, but I turned off JavaScript out of curiosity just to see how the internet looks without it. See the next section for more on it. If JavaScript was bad, why would bank people code an additional security measure based on JavaScript? If JavaScript was bad, why would most of the leading websites – such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube – use JavaScript to enhance user experience? Again, remember that JavaScript and Java are two different items that may sound the same owing to their name. Nevertheless, if you wish to, you can go here to learn how to disable JavaScript.

An Internet Without JavaScript

It would be quite possible—if it were only static webpages! But that is not the case in reality and is not feasible either. We can’t afford to walk down the street or drive to the other end of the city to pay some bills.

That is just one example where JavaScript comes in. There is much talk about HTML 5.0 changing the face of the web. Some experts say they can use it to replace Flash and that Adobe Flash will soon be a thing of the past. However, YouTube and Vimeo both use Flash & Flash player for streaming videos to your computer and I do not think they will be re-coding their entire setup anywhere in near future.

In my opinion, Flash and FLV are to stay for many more years to come. Maybe, in the coming years, experts will come up with a statement that HTML 6 or 7 can eliminate the need for Java and/or JavaScript entirely. As of now, the following image shows how the Internet would look without JavaScript. While disabling Java might be a good idea, disabling JavaScript may not be! JavaScript, may be vulnerable but then name an application that is not!