You can download the JDK, including a compatible JRE, from Oracle (link resides outside of ibm.com).īesides the Java Virtual Machine, JRE is composed of a variety of other supporting software tools and features to get the most out of your Java applications. In this way, the Java Runtime Environment is what enables a Java program to run in any operating system without modification. JVMs are available for multiple operating systems, and programs created with the JRE will run on all of them.

The JRE combines Java code created using the JDK with the necessary libraries required to run it on a JVM and then creates an instance of the JVM that executes the resulting program. Every JRE includes a default JRE, but developers are free to choose another that meets the specific resource needs of their applications. The Java Virtual Machine, or JVM, executes live Java applications.Every JDK always includes a compatible JRE, because running a Java program is part of the process of developing a Java program. Developers choose JDKs by Java version and by package or edition-Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE), Java Special Edition (Java SE), or Java Mobile Edition (Java ME). The Java Development Kit, or JDK, is a set of tools for developing Java applications.

The JRE is one of three interrelated components for developing and running Java programs. The Java Runtime Environment, or JRE, is a software layer that runs on top of a computer’s operating system software and provides the class libraries and other resources that a specific Java program needs to run.

Java runtime environment open office