Why would you need the JDK then? Because the application server will convert JSP into Java servlets and needs to use the JDK to compile the servlets. For example, if you are deploying a web application with JSP, you are technically just running Java programs inside the application server. Sometimes, even if you are not planning to do any Java development on a computer, you still need the JDK installed.
On the other hand, if you are planning to do some Java programming, you need to install the JDK instead.
Usually, if you only care about running Java programs on computer you will only install the JRE. It is capable of creating and compiling programs. It has everything the JRE has, but also the compiler (javac) and tools (like javadoc and jdb). The JDK is the Java Development Kit, the full-featured SDK for Java. However, it cannot be used to create new programs. It is a package of everything necessary to run a compiled Java program, including the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), the Java Class Library, the java command, and other infrastructure. Contains everything required to run Java applications on your system. The JRE is the Java Runtime Environment, it covers most end-users needs.
Installing this update will ensure that your Java applications continue to run as safely and efficiently as always. The Control Panel will also enable you to manage more advanced options related to Application Installation, Secure Execution Environment, Java Console, Debugging and a host of Advanced Security Settings related to certificates and data transfer encryption.Īll things considered, Java for OS X is the thing that makes it possible for any application created using the Java framework to run on any Mac, with an interface that makes it look like a native app.It's also integral to the intranet applications and other e-business solutions that are the foundation of corporate computing.
Using the same panel, you can also check for newer versions of Java and view and manage the Java runtime versions installed on your Mac via the Java Runtime Environment Settings window. This panel enables you to adjust the runtime network settings, as well as manage the temporary internet files stored by Java on your Mac's hard drive. Java for OS X also comes with a Control Panel that can be opened via the System Preferences window, using the Java preferences pane. Thus, if the developer takes the time to make sure that the OS X look is set as the default for utilities distributed on the OS X platform, the end user will not be able to know if they are built using Java or not. On account of Java being the only framework with an embedded graphical toolkit, besides Cocoa, Java apps can be designed to provide Mac users with interfaces almost identical to those available in native OS X applications. Java for OS X follows the “Write once, run anywhere” tag line of the Java runtime and this means that developers do not need to make any type of adaptations or modifications to their Java apps in order for them to run on a Mac computer.īecause Java for OS X is so easy installable and the operating system will notify you to install it right away the first time you're trying to run a Java application on your Mac, developers that use it to create their applications can start distributing them on the Mac platform right away. įurthermore, it also brings an astounding amount of new applications to the Mac platform, all ready to use and compatible with all macOS releases, past and present. The newer Java packages are maintained by Oracle, therefore it is recommended to use Oracle's Java JRE.
Java for OS X has been created to mix OS X's advanced technologies and Java's adaptability and omnipresence on almost all software platforms out there. Java for OS X is an Apple vetted Java environment, designed to be as highly integrated as possible within its own operating system.