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Introduction
There are two main types of Java platforms that can be made available on OpenMoko devices such as the Neo1973.
- Java Standard Edition (J2SE)
- Java Micro Edition (J2ME)
Java Standard Edition (J2SE)
This is the incarnation of the desktop version of Sun's Java platform. The majority of its codebase was recently opensourced under the GPL+exception license; the closed bits are quickly being replaced by unencumbered alternatives.
When people talk of Java applications, they're usually referring to software targetted to this platform. Application memory footprints on desktop applications usually include the VM and base libraries into account, rather than just the application itself (this isn't the case in J2ME).
Java Micro Edition (J2ME)
This is the 'lite' edition of the Java platform. Modular and optimised for embedded devices, this platform provides a much more restricted set of language and library features.
J2ME applications are usually referred to as MIDlets (Sun's name for these applications).
When talking about games, and mobile phone games in general, people are normally referring to this platform. J2ME games and applications are expected to function within the strict memory capabilities of the corresponding platform (application descriptors allow the runtime environment to know for which they are intended).
Memory footprints of MIDlets written for J2ME are typically quoted exclusive of the VM or base libraries - this is because they are often delivered to Java-enabled devices over the network. Footprint sizes average 10-64KB, with recent devices supporting up to 1MB MIDlets.
MIDlet are delivered as two files:
- a .jad MIDlet metadata descriptor
- a .jar MIDlet container, containing executable bytecode and any required resources
