Java Reference
In-Depth Information
APPENDIX A:
Using the Java
To spur development, Sun Microsystems offers the Java Development Kit
(JDK), a free tool to write programs with the language.
The JDK is a set of command-line programs that are used to create, com-
pile, and run Java programs. Every new release of Java is accompanied
by a new release of the development kit: The current version is JDK ver-
sion 6.
Although more sophisticated Java programming tools such as Borland
JBuilder, IntelliJ IDEA, and Eclipse are available, many programmers con-
tinue to use the Java Development Kit. I've been using it as my primary
Java programming tool for years.
This appendix covers how to download and install the Java Development
Kit, set it up on your computer, and use it to create, compile, and run a
simple Java program.
It also describes how to correct the most common cause of problems for
a beginning Java programmer—a misconfigured Java Development Kit.
