Which popular object oriented programming language used on many platforms was originally developed by James A Gosling at Sun Microsystems?

Introduction / Context:
Programming languages are often associated with their creators or the organisations that developed them. Knowing who designed a language can help learners place it in historical context and understand its design goals. This question focuses on identifying the well known language that was created by James A Gosling while working at Sun Microsystems and that later became widely used for web applications, enterprise software, mobile apps, and more.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question mentions James A Gosling as the developer.
• It indicates that the language was developed at Sun Microsystems.
• The language is popular and object oriented, used across many platforms.
• Options include ASP.Net, Java, PHP, C#, and a general distractor.
• We assume familiarity with mainstream programming languages.

Concept / Approach:
James Gosling is widely recognised as the creator of the Java programming language. Java was designed at Sun Microsystems with the goals of portability, object orientation, and robustness. The slogan write once, run anywhere reflects its platform independent nature using the Java Virtual Machine. ASP.Net is a web framework from Microsoft, PHP is a server side scripting language originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf, and C# was designed at Microsoft by Anders Hejlsberg and others. The approach is to match the correct language to the person and company mentioned.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that James Gosling is frequently referred to as the father of the Java programming language.Step 2: Recognise that Java was initially developed at Sun Microsystems before Sun was later acquired by Oracle Corporation.Step 3: Compare this with ASP.Net, which is a Microsoft framework, not a language created by Gosling.Step 4: Note that PHP and C# have different origins and creators, and are not primarily associated with Sun Microsystems.Step 5: Conclude that the only option that fits the description is Java.

Verification / Alternative Check:
To verify, consider how Java is described in books and documentation. It is commonly introduced with a brief history naming James Gosling and the Green project at Sun Microsystems. Additionally, Java source files use the .java extension and compile to bytecode executed on the Java Virtual Machine, emphasising independence from specific hardware. None of the other options share this exact history. ASP.Net is tightly bound to the .NET platform, PHP has roots in personal home page tools, and C# is often described as a language developed at Microsoft. This alignment confirms Java as the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
ASP.Net is a web application framework, not a language invented by James Gosling, and was developed by Microsoft. PHP is a widely used server side scripting language originally written by Rasmus Lerdorf and later developed by the open source community. C# was created at Microsoft as part of the .NET initiative and was heavily influenced by languages such as C++ and Java. None of these options match the combination of James A Gosling and Sun Microsystems, whereas Java does.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse Java with JavaScript or with C#, because all three are used for object oriented programming in various environments. Another pitfall is to associate the language only with its current owner, Oracle, and forget its Sun Microsystems origin. Keeping in mind the original design team and the historical context of the mid 1990s helps maintain the correct association between James Gosling and Java.

Final Answer:
The popular object oriented programming language developed by James A Gosling at Sun Microsystems is Java.