What's the difference between a .class file and a .java file? I am trying to get my applet to work but currently I can only run it in Eclipse, I can't yet embed in HTML. Thanks
**Edit: How to compile with JVM then?
37 Answers
A .class file is a compiled .java file.
.java is all text and is human readable.
.class is binary (usually).
You compile a java file into a class file by going to the command line, navigating to the .java file, and running
javac "c:\the\path\to\your\file\yourFileName.java"You must have a java SDK installed on your computer (get it from Oracle), and make sure the javac.exe file is locatable in your computer's PATH environment variable.
Also, check out Java's Lesson 1: Compiling & Running a Simple Program
If any of this is unclear, please comment on this response and I can help out :)
1- .class -> compiled (for JVM)
- .java -> source (for humans)
A .java file contains your Java source code while a .class file contains the Java bytecode produced by the Java compiler. It is your .class files that run on the JVM to execute a Java application.
It is the .class files you will use when you deploy your applet.
.java files are source files, while .class files are compiled (bytecode) classes.
Use javac to compile source into bytecode.
1.java usually holds your code in clear text
.class contains the byte code of your .java. Think of it as a compiled version of the .java file
person can be defined as a class Person. This class should reside in a Java source code file (Person.java). Using this Java source code file, the Java compiler (javac.exe on Windows or javac on Mac OS X/Linux/UNIX) generates bytecode (compiled code for the Java Virtual Machine) and stores it in Person.class.
Java files is an human readable language (for example, the code we write in Eclipse/any other IDE).
Class files are in byte-code compiled for Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
