Difference Between JDK and BlueJ

JDK (Java Development Kit) is a software development kit that contains all the necessary tools and components that are essential to develop a Java application.

Whereas BlueJ is an IDE that will make the process of developing a Java application a lot easier. BlueJ requires JDK installed on the system to work with Java applications.

Java Development Kit (JDK)

The Java Development Kit (JDK) contains all the essential libraries, tools, and all other important things to work with Java. You can't do programming in Java without JDK. The modern IDEs, like "IntelliJ IDEA" will already be equipped with Java essential components so that we don't have to manually install JDK.

JDK Components

The JDK mainly contains the following components ?

• Java compiler (Javac) ? It converts source code to machine code (bytecode), which is later executed by the JVM.
• JRE (Java Runtime Environment) ? It includes the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) and other libraries, which are necessary to run the compiled Java bytecode.
• JAR (Java Archive) ? It is a package that can contain any kind of file but usually contains compiled Java codes (.class files) and other supporting files needed by the application.
• Java doc (Java documentation) ? It is used to document the classes used in the code.
• JDB (Java debugger) ? It is a command line tool used for debugging (identifying and fixing errors in the code).

JDK installation (windows)

Step 1 ? Navigate to https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html and click on the x64 MSI Installer download link.

Step 2 ? Open the downloaded file and install

Step 3 ? After installing, open the following file folder: "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-23\bin" and copy this path.

Step 4 ? Now search for "environmental variables" in the search bar and click on edit the system environment variables.

Step 5 ? Click on Environment Variables in the Advanced tab.

Step 6 ? Double-click on the path.

Step 7 ? Click on New and paste the path "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-23\bin" and click on OK.

Step 8 ? Click on new

Step 9 ? In the variable name field, write "JAVA_Home" and in the variable value field, "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-23" and click on OK.

Step 10 ? To verify if JDK is properly installed on your system, search for cmd and open it. Type the command "java -version". If the Java version is visible, then it is successfully installed.

BlueJ

IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a software application that combines several tools essential for application development into a graphical user interface (GUI) application, which enriches the user experience and will make the process much easier for programmers. Popular IDEs are Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, BlueJ, and Eclipse.

BlueJ is an IDE used to write, edit, and execute Java programs. It acts as a communication platform between the programmer and JDK. It was specifically made to support teaching Java programming to beginners. Its interactive visual environment makes it easier for people with limited programming knowledge to learn Java and its object-oriented programming concepts. Even though BlueJ is a great IDE for beginners, it lacks advanced features that are available in professional IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse, which makes them not suitable for large projects.

BlueJ Installation

Step 1 ? Go to https://www.bluej.org/Step 2 ? Click on the Windows option.

Step 3 ? After the file is downloaded, open the file and click on Next.

Step 4 ? Click on Install, and BlueJ will be installed on your system.

JDK vs BlueJ

The key differences between JDK and BlueJ are listed in the following table.

JDK	BlueJ
JDK is a software development kit	BlueJ is an IDE
It contains the core components which are necessary for java programming	It is not necessary but improves the coding experience
It provides command-line tools	It provides simple Graphical User Interface
It is not so user-friendly	It is user-friendly
Suitable for professionals	Suitable for beginners
Can be used for large projects	Can be used only for small projects
Support Advanced tools like Maven which are essential for building large Java projects	Does not support advanced tools like Maven
JDK require separate steps for coding , compiling, debugging and running the code	BlueJ brings all the steps together in one place
Does not necessarily require an IDE to work	Require JDK to work