CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaappletviewer
Alex
Alex

Reputation: 3181

Why does each JDK come with 3 JREs?

I've noticed that within the C:\Program Files\Java folder, there's the public JRE which the JDK installed, I know this is normal. But then there's the folder jdk1.x\jre\bin\ with java.exe, javaw etc in it. And then there's the compiler folder jdk1.x\bin which contains javac along with all the other files included in the JRE like java.exe, javaw, appletviewer etc.

Why does JDK come with all these JREs? What's the difference between these 3?

Upvotes: 7

Views: 204

Answers (2)

paulsm4
paulsm4

Reputation: 121649

Sun/Oracle documents the JDK directory organization here:

c:\jdk1.6.0\jre\bin: Executable files and DLLs for tools and libraries used by the Java platform. The executable files are identical to files in /jdk1.6.0/bin.

...

Note that the file structure of the JRE is identical to that of the JDK's jre directory.

Basically, the JRE directory contains the files you can redistribute with your application, should you choose to

Upvotes: 3

Tinman
Tinman

Reputation: 786

I don't have any inside knowledge, however I have found this to be useful on occasion.

Generally the JDK is not installed on peoples workstations, only the JRE. I like to run my applications under the JRE that I know will be the same as that installed to clients.

Upvotes: 2

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