Java SE Development Kit (JDK)

The Java SE Development Kit (JDK) is a free Java application development kit.

Brief overview

The program includes the Java compiler, standard class libraries, code samples, necessary documentation, and various utilities and the Java runtime system. Many modern programs and games are written in Java and this is largely due to its high mobility and cross-platform nature. It means that applications written in Java can be used on devices with different operating systems as long as Java Runtime Environment is installed on them. While JRE allows to execute Java applications, components and applets, the Java Development Kit, or JDK, provides access to a full suite of tools to create, debug, run and even document Java code.

It is worth adding that the Java SE Development Kit does not include an integrated development environment. This means that you have to write the code in a third-party text editor, and you have to use command line utilities to compile the code.