Java Development Kit (JDK)
The Java compiler and interpreter come in a software package called the Java Development Kit.
The compiler, called javac, produces bytecodes, which is compiled code, not for any particular machine, but for the Java Virtual Machine (VM), and abstract machine definition. Thus the compiled code is architecture independent.
The interpreter, called java, executes the bytecodes for a particular machine. The semantics are carefully specified to be the same on all machines.
There is also a program primarily for debugging, called appletviewer, to view applets, a sort of mini-browser.
Currently in use are two versions:
- JDK1.1, mature version supported by most browsers
- JDK1.2, has additional classes, such as swing set for fancier user interfaces, but not yet supported by browsers in common use.