Java vs C#.

[cyberinferno]

If you want to target windows then C# is really great else Java! Both are really powerful high level languages with tons of 3rd party libraries!

[academic]

I am just wondering whether or not I should continue with Java, because I'm simply bored with it, or should I go C#?

You can write your own personal opinions, I would love to read them. I just want to know what differences there are, and what is better in one than the other, etc.

It's so funny reading over all these responses because the question you're asking is like asking someone if you should take a course in learning English or take a course in learning Japanese. They're both languages - yes, but which one you want to learn is based upon what you're wanting to accomplish. A thread like this encourages the 'experts' in this community to say things that simply are not true. It's already been mentioned, and it's just preference.

I like PHP and I'm sure there is a lot of 'experts' here that think PHP is a very bad language, but I don't care at all because I enjoy using it, and that's it. That's why I use it.

Everyone can sit here and tell you Java is better than C# because x, or C# is better than Java because x. There is no right or wrong answer here, it simply comes down to this - What are you trying to accomplish? That's it.

Then ask yourself, what do you like using better? C# or Java. That's it!

[Wreckless]

I am just wondering whether or not I should continue with Java, because I'm simply bored with it, or should I go C#?

You can write your own personal opinions, I would love to read them. I just want to know what differences there are, and what is better in one than the other, etc.

Just because you learn C# doesn't mean you have to throw Java out the window. I have to be honest though, going to C# from Java conceptually isn't that different. They're both supported by countless libraries, compiled and very powerful.

If you're looking for something similar to Java, yeah sure learn C#, but I don't think you'll be any less bored with it after a while. I suggest trying something different like JavaScript or Python.

Someone said C# has more features than Java which is not the case at all. Java was released 5 years before C# in 1996 and it has a lot of features that C# doesn't. There's a reason a lot of companies build large apps with Java instead of C#, Node.js and other alternatives... It's because it's backed by years of research and development. Java is known for "Write Once, Run Everywhere" because it's lack of platform dependency whereas C# again is still mainly used for Windows applications.

But to be clear, I'm not saying Java is better than C#. C# is extremely powerful, and depending on the project it can be the better option. It really all depends on what you plan to build.
@academic said it very well, it's really your choice.

There are a lot of great languages out there. Java, C#, PHP, JavaScript, Python, C/C++, etc.

There is no limit to how many you can learn, so pick one and have a go. If you don't like it, don't continue with it, but learning a new one doesn't mean you have to forget the others. In fact, the core concepts of programming are standard throughout most languages, especially the ones I've mentioned, so you should have no problem picking them up.

[iceblade112]

Someone said C# has more features than Java which is not the case at all. Java was released 5 years before C# in 1996 and it has a lot of features that C# doesn't.

Like what? What language features does Java have that C# doesn't?

[nevS]

Someone said C# has more features than Java which is not the case at all. Java was released 5 years before C# in 1996 and it has a lot of features that C# doesn't.

Do you have your knowledge from the early 2000s? Because I would say, C# is ahead in terms of language features since version 3 (2007).

And btw, .net core runs well under linux, too ;)

[Solaire]

C# versus Java is a no brainer for me. Irrespective of that, I see that Java is still larger than C#, and C# is actually decreasing (in favor of NodeJS / Python and surprisingly C++). Granted, the numbers are a year old, but Github's Octoverse is usually a good source (https://octoverse.github.com/2017/).

Java used to be ahead of the competition for cross-platform applications. That's not strange, given the fact that they had barely any competition at all, the competition having a steep learning curve compared to Java. .NET has been ahead of Java since .NET 2.5 if I recall correctly. Java 9 (to be precise: from version 8 onwards) does a fine job of adding features to Java that have been in .NET for ages now (such as unsigned variables). I have always hated Java because it's outdated and it's prone to many security issues. Sure, Windows is also prone to security issues because of it's market share, but Oracle simply fails to patch security flaws in time, every time. Modern browsers actually started to disable the Java plugin by default because of prolonged security issues, and that's when Java died in the web scene. Even the IDE's for Java that are most recommended (Netbeans and Eclipse) look aged, and (yes this is still frustrating me) the lack of unsigned integers was a design flaw from the very beginning if you ask me (and they added support for unsigned integers in a rather crappy way as well IMO).

In the modern age, with for example microservices, I can't for the life of me explain why the JVM takes 512 MB of memory for a single, relatively small application, idle. I don't believe Java is suited for modern application design, but since most of the applications are pure legacy (especially in the finance / insurance market), I'm not surprised to see Java is still all that common. I think the numbers severely change if you look at more modern, e.g. cloud-native applications. I bet those are mostly written in C#, Python, JavaScript / TypeScript because they have a much smaller fingerprint, which is ideal for microservices.

Another thing I'd like to mention: I've been programming for about 6 years now, so I'm only a newbie. I however have had the opportunity to join a multinational about 2 years ago as a Software Engineer and have since traveled a ton, and have worked together with Software Engineers that have completely different backgrounds than myself (not only ethical but also in terms of education. Some having PhDs, others having Masters and some not having a degree at all).

One thing that I was able to confirm every time since I started on this 6 years ago: it's not the programming language that matters, it's really all about solving an issue. A programming language is a tool in solving said issue, and if you pick the wrong tool, you won't solve the issue. But unlike solving problems, picking the appropriate tool and how to manage this tool is easy to learn.

[LeChris]

Above post is 100% accurate in that the language/library/framework will always be mostly irrelevant and that only the problem being solved matters.

However, in regards to if you want to go professional; the need for Java and C#/traditional developers is dying and being replaced quickly by JS/TS developers. But if you're bored of Java, you may just be in code burnout and trying to look for a scape goat by learning something new.

I would suggest JS if that's the case; but you will never master a language if you continue to switch and it will be very apparent in a professional environment if you're a jack of all trades, master of none. Your ideas and implementations will probably be very chaotic if you continue language hopping.

[nullptr]

while java is platform independent and very slow c# will give u a syntax-similar language that is very very comfortable, fast, and strong in (only) the microsoft environment. i dont want to refer to mono yet, cuz its similar but different libs.

.NET Core is cross platform

[cyberinferno]

.NET Core is cross platform

If by cross platform you mean just Linux and Windows

[nullptr]

If by cross platform you mean just Linux and Windows

and Mac and there's also xamarin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xamarin

[Nameless314159]

Let's also say that C# have the best IDE atm : Visual Studio. And many tools such as Resharper (which is a a must-have for C# programmers) are very appreciated while programming.

I can totally undestand that java can be boring because that's a pretty verbose language, there aren't really much "syntax sugar" provided within the language.

[Wreckless]

Like what? What language features does Java have that C# doesn't?

The point I was trying to make was that it doesn't really matter. I mean we could sit here all day trying to pin point what's available in one and not the other, but for the purposes of this conversation and the OP, it doesn't matter.

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Do you have your knowledge from the early 2000s? Because I would say, C# is ahead in terms of language features since version 3 (2007).
And btw, .net core runs well under linux, too ;)

I guess it's subjective, and I said "mainly" Windows applications. .NET Core is just starting to come out of the woodwork IMO. I'm not against C#, I work with C# literally everyday at work. They both have their pros and cons. They are both really powerful, and it's going to come down to what you're trying to program at the end of the day.

If you're just learning a language, write them on a dart board and take your shot. It really doesn't matter.

If you're trying to build something for production (to be released), then you're going to want to think about the pros and cons, compatibility, etc.