The entire Java development and execution environment from Oracle. Originally developed by Sun, which Oracle acquired in 2010, Java programs are executed by a runtime engine (the Java Virtual Machine) that must be installed in the target computer. Since Java contains its own operating environment, it is known as a "platform" in contrast to programming languages such as C and C++ that, once compiled, run natively and communicate with the operating system directly.
EE, SE, ME and Card
The Java runtime components that must be installed in the target machine to run Java applications come in different flavors. Java EE (Enterprise Edition) is required in application servers, Java SE (Standard Edition) is in the user's computer, Java ME (Micro Edition) is for handheld and other embedded devices, and Java Card is for smart cards. See
Java,
Java EE,
Java Virtual Machine and
Java Runtime Environment.