Java virtual machines
This page gives an overview of
Java virtual machines (JVM),
Java development kits (JDK),
Java runtime environments (JRE)
and related products.
There are four pages with lists of product links:
There is a page of its own on Java compilers.
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Note that you will have to regard a few points when choosing a virtual machine or compiler:
- What platform (operating system, underlying hardware) are you using?
- How important is execution speed?
Do you want to use the common approach of interpreted bytecode or do you want
to create machine code from your Java programs? What about a just-in-time (JIT)
compiler that converts (part of) the bytecode to native code when necessary?
- Which edition of Java is required for your programs?
Sun has come up with a micro,
a standard and
an enterprise edition.
Version numbers range from 1.02 to 1.5 beta.
There are PersonalJava and
EmbeddedJava, designed to run in environments
with limited resources.
- Do you need real-time capabilities?
- Do you want a virtual machine that is integrated in the operating system?
- Do you want Java as defined in the Java Language Specification, or do you need
a subset or superset of language features?
- What distribution model do you want, how much money can you spend -
the products listed on the four pages linked to above range from commercial to GPL'd, prices from several
thousand US dollars to free.