Java compiler/interpreter

Question

Why we do we say that Java is a compiled and interpreted language?

What is the advantage of this (being compiled and interpreted)?

Answer 1

Compiled: Your program is syntactically a correct Java program, before the program starts.

Interpreted: Run on different platforms the same (byte-)code.

Compiled: When your program has compiled correctly you can be shure to have 80% of software bugs under control. And your code will not stop because you have not correctly closed a code block, etc.

Interpreted: You know what Applets are ? It was the "killer" application when Java came out. Your browser downloads the applet from the website and run the applet code in your browser. That is not very cool. But, the same applet runs on Windows, Linux, Macs, Solaris, ... because runs/interpreted an intermedium language: the byte code.