[njg]

One additional advantage of Java for FRC (compared to C++ or LabVIEW) is installation and activation. With only the getting started guide and an internet connection all of the Java tools can be installed and then used indefinitely.

In terms of students gaining programming experience, there is also some room for a team to use multiple languages. For example, this year we programmed our robot in Java and modified the dashboard application in LabVIEW. (Java can easily send data back to a dashboard written in LabVIEW despite the lack of examples)

As a professional engineer, when I interview job candidates I evaluate their ability to work through the logic of programming and weigh that far above their claimed experiences. Granted, we sometimes look for experience with a particular language but that's often secondary since syntax is far easier to teach than good programming/reasoning skills.