JDK setup

IDE vs Editor

• IDE (Integrated Development Environment):

  • Examples: IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, VS Code
  • Provides advanced features → debugging, autocomplete, project management, plugins.

• Editor (Lightweight Tools):

  • Examples: Notepad, VS Code, Notepad++, Sublime
  • Just text editing; no built-in compiler/debugger (need external setup).

JDK (Java Development Kit)

• Compiler required to compile Java code → provided by JDK.
• Install JDK (open-source builds like OpenJDK or official Oracle JDK).
• Always install the latest version to get new features.
• Java is backward compatible, so old code runs on newer JDKs.

LTS (Long Term Support)

• Stable versions supported for many years.
• Recommended LTS versions: 17, 21 (commonly used in industry).

Installation & Setup

Steps to Install JDK:

1. Download JDK (Oracle or OpenJDK).

2. Install → note the installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-21).

3. Set Environment Variables →

   • Add JDK bin path (e.g., C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-21\bin).

Environment Variables

• User Variable → applies only to the current user.
• System Variable → applies to all users in the system.

To check version installed:

java -version
javac -version

Steps to Install & Setup VS Code

1. Download and install VS Code.

2. Install Java Extensions Pack (from Extensions Marketplace).

   • Important extensions:

     • Extension Pack for Java
     • Debugger for Java
     • Java Test Runner
     • Maven for Java

3. Open a new Java file → VS Code will automatically detect JDK.

✅ Example check after setup:

public class Hello {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, Java Setup Successful!");
    }
}