Differences between C++ and Java

In this tutorial, we will understand the differences between C++ and Java along with similarities in C++ vs Java with example. Both are object-oriented programming languages.

Table of Contents

What is C++?

C++ is a programming language that is derived from C. Earlier C++ also had the name “C with classes”. This is because C++ was the first language to introduce classes and objects and also inherits all the properties of C. It also uses the support of SIMULA-67 (the 1st Object-oriented language). We mainly use C++ for application and system development. The founder of C++ is Bjarne Stroustrup.

What is Java?

Java is a pure object-oriented programming language that runs on a virtual machine. It is more secure and portable. It also has an interpreter and we mainly use it for application development. The founder of Java is James Gosling. The initial name of Java was OAK which was a failure. Later, it was acquired by Sun microsystems and now by Oracle corporation.

Similarities of C++ vs Java

Even though there are differences between C++ and Java, there are similarities as well.

Execution: Both are similar in terms of the execution process. The compiler converts the source code into machine code. Additionally, Java has an interpreter which uses the JVM for the execution of the compiled code.

Java execution process

Differences between C++ and Java

C++ execution process

C++ vs Java

Features: Both languages support many features of the OOPs concept. But still, there are few features that one language supports and the other does not. Below is the comparison of the feature support between both languages.

Features	C++	Java
Abstraction	Yes	Yes
Encapsulation	Yes	Yes
Single inheritance	Yes	Yes
Multiple inheritance	Yes	No
Static binding	Yes	Yes
Dynamic binding	Yes	Yes
Polymorphism	Yes	Yes
Operator overloading	Yes	No
Header files	Yes	No
Pointers	Yes	No
Global variables	Yes	No
Template class	Yes	No
API	No	Yes
Interference and Packages	No	Yes

Differences between C++ and Java

Below are the differences between C++ and Java.

Comparison Method	C++	Java
Platform Indepenedence	It is platform dependent. Should be compiled on every platform	It is platform independent. It can be compiled in one platform and executed in another
Compiler and Interpreter	It is a compiled language	It is a compiled and interpreted language
Portability	It is not portable	It is portable since the bytecode output can be executed on any system
Memory management	Memory management is manual	Memory management is system controlled
Multiple Inheritance	Supports multiple inheritance	Does not support multiple inheritance. But can be achieved through interface
Overloading	Supports operator overloading	Does not support operator overloading
Virtual keyword	It uses virtual keyword to override function	It does not use virtual keyword. By default all non-static methods are overridden or virtual
Pointers	Uses the pointers concept	Does not have pointers concept
Documentation comments	There is no support for documentation comments	It has built-in support for documentation comments(/** ... */
Thread support	C++ does not have in-built thread mechanism and uses third party libraries	Java has in-built thread support using the class "Thread"
Call by value and Call by reference	Supports both Call by value and Call by Reference	Supports only call by value
Structure and Union	Supports both structure and union	Does not support Structures and union
Unsigned right shift >>> operator	Does not support unsigned right shift operator	Supports unsigned right shift operator
Root hierarchy	There is no root hierarchy	It has a single root hierarchy which is java.lang.Object
Input mechanism	Uses Cin and Cout for I/O operations	Uses System.in and System.out for I/O operations.
Goto statement	Supports Goto statement	Does not support Goto statement
Data and functions scope	Data and functions can reside outside the class	Data and functions should be present within the class
Object management	Uses new and delete to manage objects	Uses automatic garbage collection to manage objects
Applications	Used for system programming	Used for application programming like windows-based, web-based, enterprise and mobile applications.
Type	Both procedural and object-oriented programming language	It is only object-oriented programming language
Concept	Write once compile anywhere	Write once run anywhere everywhere
Scope resolution operator (::)	Supports scope resolution operator	Does not support scope resolution operator
Libraries	Supports low-level functionality	Supports high level functionality
Destructor	Supports destructors	Does not support destructors
Runtime error handling	The programmer is responsible for handling runtime errors and exceptions	JVM is responsible for runtime errors and exceptions

Example of a simple C++ program

Below is a simple C++ program that prints the text “C++ programming language”.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    cout<<"C++ programming language";

    return 0;
}

C++ programming language

Example of a simple Java program

Below is a simple Java program that prints the text “Java programming language”.

public class HelloJava {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("Java programming language");

  }

}

Java programming language

Reference