What are the things Java got right?
<p>What are the things that Java (the language and platform) got categorically right? In other words, what things are more recent programming languages preserving and carrying forward? </p>

<p>Some easy answer are: garbage collection, a VM, lack of pointers, classloaders, reflection(?) </p>

<p>What about language based answers? </p>

<p>Please don't list <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/457884/what-are-the-things-java-got-wrong">the things Java did wrong</a>, just right. </p>
