Groovy is a programming language for the Java Virtual Machine that is designed to be concise and flexible.
It is closely related to Java and can interoperate with Java code directly. Groovy also supports dynamic typing and a more script-like style than Java.
Groovy is commonly used for:
- Build scripts
- Automation scripts
- JVM application development
- Testing and tooling
Groovy is also commonly used for Jenkins pipeline scripts.
One of the best-known uses of Groovy is in build tooling such as Gradle.
Why people use it
Groovy is useful when you want JVM compatibility but prefer less boilerplate and a more expressive syntax than Java.
Tradeoffs
Groovy is flexible, but that flexibility can make code less explicit than Java. It is a good fit for scripting and build logic, but not always the best choice for large codebases that want strict compile-time discipline.