[prog] Java Confusions!

[Rasjid Wilcox]

On Thursday 30 October 2003 00:08, Noir wrote:
> I have spent about an hour at [http://java.sun.com/linux/] & now I am
> really perplexed.
>
> I want to write simple Java codes & do network level programming using Java
> & am wondering what to download.
>
> Seems like there are 3 options: J2SE, J2EE & J2SDK.
>
> Can anyone point me to the right direction?

I would simply get the J2SE SDK.

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html

You definitely want the SDK (not the JRE), and if you want a native Java IDE 
and you don't mind a somewhat bigger download, get the NetBeans IDE with J2SE 
cobundle.

My understanding is that J2EE is for distributed application programming, and 
(someone please correct me if I'm wrong) similar to the .NET concept.  
(Actually, that is probably completely unfair, as I'm pretty sure that the 
java distributed model predates .NET - it is just the .NET was marketed 
better.  No suprises there.)

I think each package is basically a superset of the previous.  ie, the J2SE 
SDK contains the JRE, plus all the things you need to make java class files.  
The J2EE contains the J2SE, plus extra things to make distribued application 
programming easier.

Of course, I could be completely mistaken...  (I haven't really played with 
Java for a while.  I saw the Python light instead.)

Cheers,

Rasjid.


-- 
Rasjid Wilcox
Canberra, Australia (UTC +10 hrs)
http://www.openminddev.net