computer science

Java Platform, Standard Edition

Java Platform, Standard Edition is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Java Platform, Standard Edition rather than just read about it. In short: Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) is a computing platform, technical standard for execution of applications on independent Java-supported platforms as such portable code for desktop and server environments. Java SE was formerly known as Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE).

Key takeaways

Java Platform, Standard Edition belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Java Platform, Standard Edition to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Java Platform, Standard Edition from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) is a computing platform, technical standard for execution of applications on independent Java-supported platforms as such portable code for desktop and server environments. Java SE was formerly known as Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE). The platform uses the Java programming language and is part of the Java software-platform family. Java SE defines a range of general-purpose APIs—such as Java APIs for the Java Class Library—and also includes the Java Language Specification and the Java Virtual Machine Specification. OpenJDK is the official reference implementation since version 7.

Nomenclature, standards and specifications The platform was known as Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition or J2SE from version 1.2, until the name was changed to Java Platform, Standard Edition or Java SE in version 1.5. The "SE" is used to distinguish the base platform from the Enterprise Edition (Java EE) and Micro Edition (Java ME) platforms. The "2" was originally intended to emphasize the major changes introduced in version 1.2, but was removed in version 1.6. The naming convention has been changed several times over the Java version history. Starting with J2SE 1.4 (Merlin), Java SE has been developed under the Java Community Process, which produces descriptions of proposed and final specifications for the Java platform called Java Specification Requests (JSR). JSR 59 was the umbrella specification for J2SE 1.4 and JSR 176 specified J2SE 5.0 (Tiger). Java SE 6 (Mustang) was released under JSR 270. Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE) is a related specification that includes all the classes in Java SE, plus a number that are more useful to programs that run on servers as opposed to workstations. Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) is a related specification intended to provide a certified collection of Java APIs for the development of software for small, resource-constrained devices such as cell phones, PDAs and set-top boxes. The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and Java Development Kit (JDK) are the actual files downloaded and installed on a computer to run or develop Java programs, respectively.

General purpose packages The majority of these packages are exported by the java.base module of the Java Platform Module System (since Java 9).

java.lang The Java package java.lang contains fundamental classes and interfaces closely tied to the language and runtime system. This includes the root classes that form the class hierarchy, types tied to the language definition, basic exceptions, math functions, threading, security functions, as well as some information on the underlying native system. This package contains 22 of 32 java.lang.Error classes provided in JDK 6. The main classes and interfaces in java.lang are:

Object – the class that is the root of every class hierarchy. Enum – the base class for enumeration classes (as of J2SE 5.0). Class – the class that is the root of the Java reflective programming (reflection) system. Throwable – the class that is the base class of the exception class hierarchy. Error, Exception, and RuntimeException – the base classes for each exception type. Thread – the class that allows operations on threads. String – the class for strings and string literals. StringBuffer and StringBuilder – classes for performing string manipulation (StringBuilder as of J2SE 5.0). Comparable – the interface that allows generic comparison and ordering of objects (as of J2SE 1.2). Iterable – the interface that allows generic iteration using the enhanced for loop (as of J2SE 5.0). ClassLoader, Process, Runtime, SecurityManager, and System – classes that provide "system operations" that manage the dynamic loading of classes, creation of external processes, host environment inquiries such as the time of day, and enforcement of security policies. Math and StrictMath – classes that provide basic math functions such as sine, cosine, and square root (java.lang.StrictMath as of J2SE 1.3). The primitive wrapper classes that encapsulate primitive types as objects. The basic exception classes thrown for language-level and other common exceptions. Classes in java.lang are automatically imported into every source file.

java.lang.ref The java.lang.ref package provides more flexible types of references than are otherwise available, permitting limited interaction between the application and the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) garbage collector. It is an important package, central enough to the language for the language designers to put it under the java.lang namespace, but it is somewhat special-purpose and not used by a lot of developers. This package was added in J2SE 1.2. Java has an expressive system of references and allows for special behavior for garbage collection. A normal reference in Java is known as a "strong reference". The java.lang.ref package defines three other types of references—soft, weak, and phantom references. Each type of reference is designed for a specific use.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Java Platform, Standard Edition

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Java Platform, Standard Edition claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Java Platform, Standard Edition before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Java Platform, Standard Edition ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Java Platform, Standard Edition

In research: Java Platform, Standard Edition appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Java Platform, Standard Edition in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Java Platform, Standard Edition is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computing platforms, Java (software platform), Java specification requests, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Java Platform, Standard Edition outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Java Platform, Standard Edition in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Java Platform, Standard Edition means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Java Platform, Standard Edition out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Java Platform, Standard Edition in simple terms?

Why does Java Platform, Standard Edition matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Java Platform, Standard Edition?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Java Platform, Standard Edition.