.class vs .java

java class applet
Devoted picture Devoted · Jun 18, 2009 · Viewed 61.3k times · Source

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?

Answer

Brian picture Brian · Jun 18, 2009

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 :)

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