On June 30, Netscape Vice President Marc Andreessen made it clear that development of “Javagator” — the company’s much-ballyhooed all-Java version of its flagship Web browser — was over.

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 ...

are written in JavaScript. Mixing Node.js and a call to the database requires no gear-shifting, let alone any need to remember syntax differences. Meanwhile, many Java developers use SQL.

If you're starting at Square 1 and need to build a core cluster of skills, there are some compelling reasons to choose Java or JavaScript as your first programming languages. Better yet ...