Java Runtime Environment

What is Java Runtime Environment (JRE) ?

Definition - What does Java Runtime Environment (JRE) mean?

The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is a set of software tools for development of Java applications. It combines the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), platform core classes and supporting libraries.

JRE was originally developed by Sun Microsystems Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oracle Corporation. 

Also known as Java runtime.

JRE is part of the Java Development Kit (JDK), but can be downloaded separately. 

JRE = JVM + Library Files + Other Files.

JRE consists of the following components:

• Deployment technologies : including deployment, Java Web Start and Java Plug-in.
• User interface toolkits : including Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT), Swing, Java 2D, Accessibility, Image I/O, Print Service, Sound, drag and drop (DnD) and input methods.
• Integration libraries : including Interface Definition Language (IDL), Java Database Connectivity (JDBC), Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI), Remote Method Invocation (RMI), Remote Method Invocation Over Internet Inter-Orb Protocol (RMI-IIOP) and scripting.
• Other base libraries : including international support, input/output (I/O), extension mechanism, Beans, Java Management Extensions (JMX), Java Native Interface (JNI), Math, Networking, Override Mechanism, Security, Serialization and Java for XML Processing (XML JAXP).
• Lang and util base libraries : including lang and util, management, versioning, zip, instrument, reflection, Collections, Concurrency Utilities, Java Archive (JAR), Logging, Preferences API : Ref Objects and Regular Expressions.
• Java Virtual Machine (JVM) : including Java HotSpot Client and Server Virtual Machines.