JDK = Java SE && JDK != Java EE?

Question

Please confirm the above statement?

I need to know what they are referring to when they mention JDK.

Answer 1

When you download the standard Java development kit, you get the standard edition of Java (Java SE) in a development form (JDK). The Java runtime (JRE) is the same set of libraries etc. without the development tools (compiler etc.)

Java EE is a set of additional APIs/interfaces (and most usually, some implementations of these). These are APIs for web applications, EJBs etc. You can use the JDK to build for this, provided you have the additional APIs and the implementations. Most usually a Java EE application will run in an application or web container.

Note (also) that until very recently, Java SE was known as J2SE, and Java EE was known as J2EE. The situation is confused further by the fact that many people (especially recruiters) confuse J2EE with EJBs (which are only one of the technologies in Java EE).

You're not alone in being confused by this. I regularly encounter experienced professionals who struggle with precisely what these mean, and Sun doesn't help by introducing Java 2 v1.6 (or is it Java 6?), and renaming J2EE to Java EE.