Javakääntäjä

Javakääntäjä is the Finnish term for a Java compiler. A Java compiler is a program that translates Java source code, written in the Java programming language, into Java bytecode. This bytecode is an intermediate representation that can be understood and executed by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The process of compilation is a crucial step in the Java development workflow, allowing developers to write human-readable code that is then transformed into a format the machine can process.

There are several Java compilers available. The most common is the one provided by Oracle (formerly Sun Microsystems) as part of the Java Development Kit (JDK). Other popular compilers include Eclipse JDT (Java Development Tools) compiler, which is integrated into the Eclipse IDE, and the Apache Harmony compiler. Each compiler may have slight differences in their implementation and adherence to the Java language specification, but their fundamental purpose remains the same: to convert Java source files (.java) into Java class files (.class). This translation step enables the platform independence that Java is known for, as the same bytecode can run on any system with a compatible JVM.