First of all, you must know that Java is a programming language and you need some packages installed on your computer to run it. Before we check for any version you must know what are you looking for. So let’s see some definitions in the Java world.
- Java -> “Java” is the name that Sun gave to their programming language. Java is NOT an acronym and it does NOT stand for “Just Another Vague Acronym” or anything like that. This is the main programming language that is used to develop software, programs, apps, or any other fancy stuff.
- JRE -> Java Runtime Environment this is the installation package that provides an environment to (YES) run and NOT to develop the Java applications. This is normally used by end-users. If you are unsure about what kind of java you are looking for, THIS is what you are looking for.
- JDK -> Java Development Kit witch contains just the tools for developing apps under Java.
- SDK -> Software Development Kit which has support for developing apps in different programming languages like Scala, JRuby, and Java among others. It is often used in Android development for example.
- JVM -> Java Virtual Machine normally comes with both JDK and JRE and it’s the one in charge of executing the Java language code in general.
How to check Java package/JRE version
There are a few methods out there to find under the hood Java version that you have installed on your PC. Windows lets you directly search for the Java components under Start Button. Just type java and look for Java Configuration. Click on it and you should see the Java Configuration panel:
Click on the About Java menu and a new window with the Java version will open
You can also try and type About Java directly into windows search to access the “about java” section and check its version
How to check Java version using CMD
Another way to do it is using CMD (Command Prompt). Just search for it under your windows bar start button or press the Windows button + R and type CMD
Type java -version inside CMD window. If you have Java installed you will see something like this.
java -version error – No Java Installed
On the other hand, if you do not have Java installed you will see a java is not recognized as an internal or external command message
If you see this error, just head to the java website at java.com to download the latest Java package.
Check if JDK is installed and his version
To simply check if JDK is installed just type javac in your terminal and you should see lots of available commands
If you have The JDK installed, just type java -version in your terminal and this will bring up the JDK version
Check SDK version
Just to make it clear, SDK stands for Software Development Kit which has support for developing apps in different programming languages, not just JAVA. It is used by Microsoft and Google Android for example.
Check Microsoft SDK version
To check for your windows installed SDK version you should open your registry editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SDKs\Windows. To open Registry editor press the Windows button + R, write regedit, and press ENTER.
