What is the Difference Between JDK and JRE?

The main difference between JDK and JRE lies in their purpose and functionality in Java programming:

• JDK (Java Development Kit):
• A software development environment used to develop Java applications and applets.
• Contains various development tools like compilers, debuggers, and core classes.
• Platform-specific software, with separate installers for Windows, Mac, and Unix systems.
• Enables developers to create Java programs that can be executed and run by the JRE and JVM.
• JRE (Java Runtime Environment):
• Provides the libraries, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), and other components to run applets and applications written in Java.
• Implementation of JVM, specially designed to provide an environment to execute Java programs.
• Consists of JVM, Java binaries, and other classes to execute any program successfully.
• Does not contain any development tools like a compiler, debugger, etc. If you only want to execute a program, you can install only JRE.

In summary, JDK is the software development kit for Java, while JRE is the environment where Java programs run. JDK is required for development purposes, whereas JRE is needed to run compiled Java programs.

Comparative Table: JDK vs JRE

Here is a table highlighting the differences between JDK and JRE:

In summary, JDK is a software development kit used by developers to write, compile, and debug Java code, while JRE is a software bundle that allows Java programs to run on end-users' systems.