difference between JDK and J2SE

[Naresh Agarwal]

Hi

Is there any difference between JDK and J2SE or these are used synonymously?

What is standard name for java distribution?

thanks,
Naresh

 

[Daniel Schneller]

Hi!

JDK is an old term and means "Java Development Kit". This was replaced
some time ago with J2SDK (Java 2 Software Development Kit). This one
contains compilers and class library source code.
The JRE or J2RE is the Java Runtime Environment, not containing any
development tools but only the stuff necessary to run Java programs.
Normally this is what "users" need, although it is included in the J2SDK.

J2SE stands for Java2 Standard Edition as in contrast to J2EE for
"Enterprise Edition". As long as you don't use any application servers
or other advanced distributed architectures you will be perfectly fine
with former one.

Daniel

 

[JavaWebExam]

JDK (Java Development Kit), was sometimes referred to as the Java SDK
(Software Development Kit)..people started to wonder what the
difference was (there was none). Then you had the enterprise version
(J2EE). Everyone became a little confused.

Sun now refers to the whole area of the standard edition as J2SE, to
fall in line with the naming with J2EE and J2ME.

When you download Suns version of the J2SE specification, it is now
referred to as the Java 2 SDK.

Basically, there is no such thing as JDK anymore.

Regards,
Simon
http://www.javawebexam.com

 

[Sudsy]

Hi!

JDK is an old term and means "Java Development Kit". This was replaced
some time ago with J2SDK (Java 2 Software Development Kit). This one
contains compilers and class library source code.
The JRE or J2RE is the Java Runtime Environment, not containing any
development tools but only the stuff necessary to run Java programs.
Normally this is what "users" need, although it is included in the J2SDK.

J2SE stands for Java2 Standard Edition as in contrast to J2EE for
"Enterprise Edition". As long as you don't use any application servers
or other advanced distributed architectures you will be perfectly fine
with former one.

Daniel

But it actually got even more confusing when you had to download the
JSDK! That was the Java Servlet Development Toolkit.
Confusion continues to this day since people have to download and
install j2sdk before trying to install the j2sdkee (which is merely
overlayed atop the existing installation).
I'm not complaining, merely noting that it can still be challenging
to newcomers (witness recent posts asking about this same issue).