Difference Between JDK, JRE, and JVM in Java for Developers

The Java Development Kit (JDK), Java Runtime Environment (JRE), and Java Virtual Machine (JVM) are core components of Java. The JDK is a full development package that includes the compiler, debugger, and tools needed to create Java applications. The JRE provides the libraries, Java Class Loader, and JVM required to run Java programs but lacks development tools. The JVM is the engine that executes Java bytecode by converting it into machine-specific instructions. In simple terms: JDK = development + run, JRE = only run, and JVM = execution engine. Together, they enable Java’s platform independence