Mac OS X for Java Geeks

Chapter 2. Apple’s Java Platform

With a basic understanding of the Mac OS X platform, you’re ready to get down to some bits and bytes . . . well, almost. First, you need to make sure you’ve got your Java compiler running properly, your environment variables set, and all program directories in the right place. We’ll deal with all of that in this chapter.

Apple JVM Basics

First, make sure you have a Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Open up the Terminal application, type java -version, and you’ll see the following message (or something similar):

java version "1.3.1"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, 
    Standard Edition (build 1.3.1-root-020219-20:07)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.3.1, mixed mode)

This message indicates that your JVM is set up and working, and that may seem like all you need to know. However, there is much more to a JVM than the ability to fire up a Java process. For starters, Apple preinstalls the JVM in a specific location, automatically including a number of additional classes. These classes number in the hundreds and add Apple-specific functionality to the core Java distributions.

Tip

In this section we’ll look at Apple’s JDK 1.3.1 installation, which is included with all Mac OS X 10.1 systems and beyond. The JDK 1.4.1 release is available for download via Apple’s Software Update feature or http://www.apple.com/macosx/downloads. It will install only on Mac OS X Version 10.2.3 or later.

The Swing settings are also unique to the Apple JVM: the default look and feel ...