Platinum Edition Using HTML 4, XML, and Java 1.2
(Publisher: Macmillan Computer Publishing)
Author(s): Eric Ladd
ISBN: 078971759x
Publication Date: 11/01/98

Downloading to Windows NT, Step by Step

This section describes the process of downloading Sun’s JDK to your desktop computer. In this example, we’ll assume you use a Windows NT system—other operating systems work similarly.

Connecting to JavaSoft The easiest way to find the current JDK is to start at http://java.sun.com/. Scroll down the page until you see the Spotlight section on the left margin. In that section you’ll see a link for the Java Development Kit.

	If you want to be sure to have access to the latest versions of the JDK, consider downloading public betas. Learn more about beta software at http://developer.javasoft.com/ by becoming a member of the Java Developer Connection (JDC). Membership is free.

Downloading the JDK After you’re on the download page, read the information about the JDK, then scroll down until you see the “Java Development Kit Software” section. Note the version number; make sure you’re getting the version you expect. Figure 37.1 shows the download section of a typical JDK release.

FIGURE 37.1  Start your download by selecting the version of the JDK.

	From the download page, you’ll find links to various text files, including a README file, a list of changes, and a list of features supported in this version of the JDK. Use the README file to get an overview of the download and installation process.
	You might want to print out the README file because some of the recommendations about setting environment variables can get tricky. If you don’t get them right, you’ll get errors when you try to use the JDK tools.

Below the download section for the JDK, you’ll see options for the documentation and other software. You can download either the documentation or the JDK first—in this example, we’ll start with the JDK itself. When you’re done, come back to this page and follow the same procedures to download the documentation.

Before leaving this page, scroll down to the end. Sun has put many useful links on this page, including links to Java documentation (beyond that supplied in the documentation kit). Consider bookmarking this page so you’ll always have the latest information on Java.

Use the pull-down menu to select your operating system, and then click the Continue button. The license agreement for the JDK appears. Read the license agreement; if you want the JDK, you must accept the agreement.

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NOTE:  Note that the license agreement prohibits you from distributing the JDK. If you develop a Java applet, you don’t need to send the end user anything—most browsers contain a Java Runtime Environment (JRE), or the end user can install Sun’s Java plug-in for Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

If you want to distribute a standalone application, you can download the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) from Sun and bundle it with your application, or you can instruct the user how to get the JRE directly.

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After you navigate the license agreement, you finally arrive at the download page itself. Figure 37.2 shows this page. Note that you can download the JDK either from Sun’s FTP server or via HTTP. If your network connection permits you to use FTP, do so; it’s faster and more reliable. If you must, use HTTP.

	If your network connection is slow or unreliable, consider getting the JDK via CD-ROM. Sun refers to this offer throughout the download process. If you take it up on the offer, it will include additional Java resources on the CD-ROM.

You can download the installation kit into any convenient directory; the installer will place the components into the proper directories.

Be sure to note the name of the file you’re downloading—it’s given at the top of the download page. Some network connections change the name of the downloaded file to match the name of the page from which it is downloaded. If your software makes this mistake, switch the name back to the one given by Sun before continuing the installation process.

FIGURE 37.2  This version of the download page enables you to get the Windows 95/NT version of the JDK.

Installing the JDK The JDK installer for Windows 95/NT is an executable archive. Double-click this file to start the installation process. Follow the instructions to make the JDK directory.

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NOTE:  You should unpack both the documentation and the JDK into the same directory. The documentation installer will make a docs folder in the JDK directory. Sun’s links are designed to look for the documentation in that folder.

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When you finish installation, feel free to delete the installer programs for both the JDK and the documentation. You won’t need them again unless you need to reinstall the software.

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NOTE:  As you explore your JDK and third-party products, you may run across zip files such as lib/classes.zip. Don’t unzip these files—they are designed to be read directly by the Java runtime environment. In the newest JDK, these zip files are being replaced by Java Archives, or JAR files, which serve the same purpose but aren’t likely to be confused with zip archives.

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Setting Environment Variables Java uses the CLASSPATH environment variable to tell it where to look for Java classes. As a developer, you’ll want to add new class libraries to the CLASSPATH variable.

If you’ve installed the JDK in the default location for your platform, the JDK tools will find the lib directory without searching CLASSPATH. You’ll still need to set CLASSPATH if you install third-party programs.