Oracle Java Virtual Machine

Description

The Java Virtual Machine (JVM), is a virtual machine that runs Java applications. A Java program cannot run on a host computer if the JVM is not installed. The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) includes the JVM. This is what users will encounter most often when they "install Java" onto their computers.

One of the great advantages of the Java Virtual Machine is that it allows the same Java program to run on multiple platforms (e.g., Windows, Linux, Mac, etc.) Using the same codebase. The JVM interprets the compiled program the same way regardless of the platform on which it runs. The trick is that it is up to the platform-specific JVM to integrate properly with the system so that it is transparent to the user.

The Java programming language and the JVM are great technologies. Yet, while the "write once, run anywhere" feature is convenient for developers, it is often inconvenient for users since they have to install the JVM before a Java program will run on their computers. Given this issue, the JVM is sometimes regarded as annoying. Still, Java has been used to successfully deploy great software applications in diverse end user contexts.

▶ Other extension used by Oracle Java Virtual Machine 8