Comparison Index 

C++ 

Java 

Platform Independence 

C++ is platform-dependent. 

Java is platform-independent. 

Main Usage 

Mainly used for system programming. 

Mainly used for application programming. 

Design Goal 

Designed for systems and applications programming. 

Designed for embedded systems, settop boxes, televisions etc.

Goto Keyword

Supports the goto statement. 

Doesn’t support the goto statement. 

Multiple Inheritance 

Supports multiple inheritance. 

Doesn’t support multiple inheritance through class, achieved through interfaces. 

Operator Overloading 

Supports operator overloading. 

Doesn’t support operator overloading. 

Pointers 

Supports pointers. You can write pointer programs. 

Supports pointers internally, but doesn’t allow writing pointer programs. Restricted pointer support. 

Compiler and Interpreter 

Uses a compiler only. Platform-dependent. 

Uses both compiler and interpreter. Platform-independent bytecode execution. 

Call by Value and Call by Reference 

Supports both call by value and call by reference. 

Supports call by value only. No call by reference. 

Structures and Unions 

Supports structures and unions. 

Doesn’t support structures and unions. 

Thread Support 

Doesn’t have built-in support for threads. 

Has built-in thread support. 

Documentation Comment 

Doesn’t support documentation comment. 

Supports documentation comment (/** … */) for creating documentation. 

Virtual Keyword 

Supports virtual keyword for deciding whether or not to override a function. 

No virtual keyword. All non-static methods are virtual by default. 

Unsigned Right Shift 

Doesn’t support >>> operator. 

Supports unsigned right shift >>> operator. 

Inheritance Tree 

Creates a new inheritance tree always. 

Uses a single inheritance tree with Object class as the root. 

Hardware Interaction 

Nearer to hardware. 

Not so interactive with hardware. 

Object-Oriented 

Object-oriented language. 

Object-oriented language with everything (except fundamental types) as an object.