Short for
Java 2 Platform Micro Edition. J2ME is
Sun Microsystems' answer to a consumer wireless device platform. J2ME allows developers to use
Java and the J2ME wireless toolkit to create
applications and programs for wireless and mobile devices.
J2ME consists of two elements -- configurations and profiles.
Configurations provide a set of libraries and a virtual machine for a category of wireless device. There are two configurations for
J2ME, one for fixed wireless devices and one for mobile wireless devices.
Profiles are APIs built on top of configurations to provide a runtime environment for a specific device, such as a PDA, cellphone, or set-top box. The profile manages the application, user interface, networking and I/O.
In order to support Java apps, manufacturers need to implement a profile for their specific devices.