Understanding the Differences Between JDK, JRE, and JVM

Learn about the core components of Java: JDK, JRE, and JVM. This guide breaks down the functions of each—Java Development Kit (JDK) for developers, Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for running applications, and Java Virtual Machine (JVM) for executing Java bytecode. Discover how these elements work together to enable Java's platform independence and efficient program execution.

Differences Between JDK, JRE, and JVM

JVM (Java Virtual Machine)

JVM (Java Virtual Machine) is an abstract machine that provides a runtime environment for executing Java bytecode. It is platform-independent and can execute programs written in Java and other languages compiled to Java bytecode.

• Loads code
• Verifies code
• Executes code
• Provides runtime environment

JRE (Java Runtime Environment)

JRE (Java Runtime Environment) is the implementation of JVM. It physically exists and includes a set of libraries and other files that JVM uses during runtime. JRE is necessary for running Java applications.

JDK (Java Development Kit)

JDK (Java Development Kit) is a software development environment used for developing Java applications and applets. It contains JRE along with development tools such as compiler, debugger, etc. JDK also includes a private JVM for running Java applications.

JDK is available in different editions:

• Standard Edition Java Platform (SE)
• Enterprise Edition Java Platform (EE)
• Micro Edition Java Platform (ME)

The JDK components include an interpreter/loader (java), a compiler (javac), an archiver (jar), a documentation generator (Javadoc), and more.