Groovy SDK

Java has become somewhat of a household name in recent times, as more and more programs are built with this language.

As such, several tools that enhance or streamline Java in one way or another have been developed.

Among them, Groovy SDK provides veteran users of the mentioned programming language with a powerful solution to building their applications.

Being derived from Java constitutes both a great advantage and disadvantage, as although one borrows from one of the best programming languages around, there is not much space for improvement or innovation.

The software development kit attempts to bypass this by enhancing certain Java features found to be lacking.

For example, several packages and classes are automatically imported and one does not need to call them using explicit statements (e.g. java.net, java.util or java.io).

A notable feature - and significant departure from Java, is that the methods invoked are chosen at runtime and not during compilation.

Several other differences are present, but other than those, Groovy SDK features the same great power typical of Java.

It allows single or multi-line comments, multiple keywords – several more than in the original SDK, as well as the use of arithmetic, logical or object operators.

Several built-in components, both with or without a UI, can be employed to test, run and compile code.

For example, the “Groovysh Shell” can be used to quickly define and evaluate Groovy expressions; all the while, a Console with a basic interface can be employed to run scripts.

As with most programming languages, ample manuals are available for peruse and a lively online community can assist with most questions from developers seeking to make the transition from Java to Groovy.