JRE

Technology & Computing abbreviation · Programming

JRE
Stands forJava Runtime Environment
CategoriesTechnology & Computing

JRE stands for Java Runtime Environment, a programming abbreviation.

The components needed to run, but not compile, Java programs: the Java Virtual Machine plus the standard class libraries. End users once installed the JRE to run Java desktop apps and browser applets.

Example: The legacy accounting client needs JRE 8 installed on every workstation.

Usage notes

Oracle stopped offering a separate JRE download with Java 11 in 2018; developers now bundle a trimmed runtime with their apps using the jlink tool. Browser applets, once the main reason to install it, were deprecated in Java 9 and later removed. Everything in the JRE is also part of the JDK.

More programming abbreviations

  • IIFE – Immediately invoked function expression
  • IoC – Inversion of control
  • IPC – Inter-process communication
  • J2EE – Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition
  • JDK – Java Development Kit
  • JIT – Just-in-time
  • JSON – JavaScript Object Notation
  • JVM – Java Virtual Machine
  • KISS – Keep it simple, stupid
  • l10n – Localization
  • LGTM – Looks good to me
  • LIFO – Last in, first out

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