README

JavaTM 2 SDK, Standard Edition
Version 1.3.1

Contents

Introduction
Thank you for downloading this release of the JavaTM 2 SDK, Standard Edition. The Java 2 SDK is a development environment for building applications, applets, and components using the Java programming language.

A Japanese version of the README is on the download web site.

The Java 2 SDK includes tools useful for developing and testing programs written in the Java programming language and running on the Java platform. These tools are designed to be used from the command line. Except for the appletviewer, these tools do not provide a graphical user interface.

Installation Instructions
For installation instructions and system requirements for this release, see
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/install.html

Java 2 SDK Documentation
The on-line Java 2 Platform Documentation contains API specifications, feature descriptions, developer guides, reference pages for SDK tools and utilities, demos, and links to related information. This documentation is also available in a download bundle which you can install on your machine. To obtain the documentation bundle, see the download page web site.

For API documentation, refer to the following sources:

Release Notes

See the Release Notes on the web site for additional information pertaining to this release. The on-line release notes will be updated as needed, so you should check it occasionally for the latest information.

Compatibility

See Compatibility with Previous Releases on the Java Software web site for the list of known compatibility issues. Every effort has been made to support programs written for previous version of the Java platform. Although some incompatible changes were necessary, most software should migrate to current version with no reprogramming. Any failure to do so is considered a bug, except for a small number of cases where compatibility was deliberately broken, as described on our compatibility web page. Some compatibility-breaking changes were required to close potential security holes or to fix implementation or design bugs.

Bug Reports and Feedback

The Bug Parade Web Page on the Java Developer Connection web site lets you search for and examine existing bug reports, submit your own bug reports, and tell us which bug fixes matter most to you. To directly submit a bug or request a feature, fill out this form:
http://java.sun.com/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi
You can also send comments directly to Java Software engineering team email addresses.

To report bugs against the Japanese translation of the documentation, please send an email message describing the bug to sdk-docl10nbugs@java.sun.com. Be sure to include the URL of the document that has the bug.

Note - You should not seek technical support from Bug Parade or our development teams. For support options, see Support and Services on the Java Software web site.

Contents of the Java 2 SDK
This section contains a general summary of the files and directories in the Java 2 SDK. For details on the files and directories, see SDK File Structure portion of the J2SE documentation.
Development Tools
(In the bin subdirectory.) Tools and utilities that will help you develop, execute, debug, and document programs written in the Java programming language. For further information, see the tool documentation.

Runtime Environment
(In the jre subdirectory.) An implementation of the Java 2 runtime environment for use by the SDK. The runtime environment includes a Java virtual machine, class libraries, and other files that support the execution of programs written in the Java programming language.

Additional Libraries
(In the lib subdirectory.) Additional class libraries and support files required by the development tools.

Demo Applets and Applications
(In the demo subdirectory.) Examples, with source code, of programming for the Java platform. These include examples that use Swing and other Java Foundation Classes, and the Java Platform Debugger Architecture.

C header Files
(In the include subdirectory.) Header files that support native-code programming using the Java Native Interface, the Java Virtual Machine Debugger Interface, the Java Virtual Machine Profiler Interface and other functionality of the Java 2 Platform.

Source Code
(In src.jar archive file.) Java programming language source files for all classes that make up the Java 2 core API (that is, sources files for the java.*, javax.* and org.omg.* packages, but not for com.sun.* packages). This source code is provided for informational purposes only, to help developers learn and use the Java programming language. These files do not include platform-specific implementation code and cannot be used to rebuild the class libraries. To extract these file, use this command: 
    jar xvf src.jar

Do not modify core API source files. To extend the behavior of the core API, write subclasses of the core API classes.

For API documentation, refer to the following sources:

  • The Java Platform API Specification. This provides brief descriptions of the API with an emphasis on specifications, not on examples.

  • The Java Class Libraries, Second Edition, published by Addison-Wesley Longman as part of The Java Series. These volumes include much more elaborate descriptions, with definitions of terminology and examples for practically every class, interface and member.

The Java 2 Runtime Environment
You may not redistribute the Java 2 SDK with the applications you develop. Instead, you may redistribute the Java 2 Runtime Environment with your applications. The Java 2 Runtime Environment is available as a separately downloadable product. See the J2SE download web site.

The Java 2 Runtime Environment allows you to run applications written in the Java programming language. Like the Java 2 SDK, it contains the Java virtual machine, classes comprising the Java 2 Platform API, and supporting files. Unlike the Java 2 SDK, it does not contain development tools such as compilers and debuggers.

You can freely redistribute the Java 2 Runtime Environment with your application, according to the terms of the Runtime Environment's license. Once you have developed your application using the Java 2 SDK, you can ship it with the Runtime Environment so your end-users will have a Java platform on which to run your software.

Note that the Java 2 SDK has an internal implementation of a Java runtime environment for its own use. This internal runtime environment is contained in the SDK's jre directory. Don't confuse the SDK's internal runtime environment with the Java 2 Runtime Environment, which is a separately installable product.

Web Pages
For additional information, refer to these Sun Microsystems pages on the World Wide Web:
http://java.sun.com/
The Java Software web site, with the latest information on Java technology, product information, news, and features.
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/
Java 2 SDK web site
http://java.sun.com/docs
Java Platform Documentation provides access to white papers, the Java Tutorial and other documents.
http://java.sun.com/jdc
The Java Developer Connection web site. (Free registration required.) Additional technical information, news, and features; user forums; support information, and much more.
http://java.sun.com/products/
Java Technology Products & API

The Java 2 SDK, Standard Edition, is a product of Sun MicrosystemsTM, Inc.
This product includes code licensed from RSA Data Security.

Copyright © 1997-2001, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
901 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, California 94303-4900 USA.
All rights reserved.