Difference between JRE and JVM

[Abhijeet Pathak]

Can anyone tell me the exact difference between JRE and JVM?
If Java is platform independent language,then why do we need a JRE for running JAVA programs?

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

Java code is compiled to the machine language of an idealized computer called the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). To run Java code on a real computer, you need a program that implements the imaginary computer. The program "java.exe" is such a program.

The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is a JVM, plus the various libraries of class files and their native code that are needed to support the full Java API. The file java.exe by itself is not actually enough to run a Java program -- you need a full JRE.

Regarding platform independence: Java bytecode will run on any JRE. You can implement the JRE on virtually any real computer, and this makes Java code binary compatible across all those platforms.

[Campbell Ritchie]

And welcome to JavaRanch

[Jesper Young]

You can compare it to a car: The JVM (Java Virtual Machine) is the motor. But if you want to go anywhere, you need more than just a motor. The JRE (Java Runtime Environment) is the complete car, including the motor. So to run Java programs, you need a JRE, and not only a JVM.