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JDK / JRE / JVM Layers

Workbook 1c, p.39 — Understanding the Java Platform Stack

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JDK Java Development Kit
Everything a DEVELOPER needs
javac compiler debugger (jdb) jar tool javadoc jshell keytool
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JRE Java Runtime Environment
Everything needed to RUN Java programs
Java Class Libraries java.lang java.util java.io Deployment tools Security manager
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JVM Java Virtual Machine
The engine that executes bytecode
Class Loader Bytecode Verifier Interpreter JIT Compiler Garbage Collector

Layer Details

Click on any layer in the diagram
to see its detailed breakdown
 
Instructor Tip
When you installed IntelliJ and selected JDK 17, you got all three layers!
We use Amazon Corretto 17 — it's a free, production-ready JDK distribution backed by Amazon.
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