J2ME – Java Programming for Mobile Devices

mobile application development has reached greater heights with the development of new applications on a daily basis. Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) is a set of specifications and technologies that are developed for small devices like mobile phones, pagers etc. In other words, J2ME is a software development platform and a mobile independent language that allows the developers to create applications for mobile devices. The programs written once for a device can run on all types of devices. As Java programs run on any desktop or an enterprise platform, similarly they can run on any mobile platform also. J2ME is a famous for writing applications on Android devices. The specialty of this language is that, the developers can run the program written for one platform on another platform.

The Java 2 platform comprises of 3 elements, which can be described as –

1) Java programming language similar to C++.

2) A virtual machine that forms the foundation of Java 2 platform.

3) An extensive set of standard application programming interfaces.

There are many advantages of using J2ME for mobile application development. Some of the advantages are –

• It is a proper programming language which can be used on a wide variety of platforms. This is more suitable for developing complicated applications and tasks.
• One can work offline while using this platform. With a Java-enabled mobile device, it is easy to download and install the applications without incurring the connection charges. The users can even run applications when they are out of coverage. One can work offline with WML cached decks, but it is possible only if the decks are cached.
• The platform supports a high degree of security and is capable of developing highly interactive web solutions for the mobile devices. There are many web development companies in India, which have a team of experienced developers to develop high quality mobile applications using J2ME.

To build a mobile application, one must need two files. One is the jar file and the other is the Java Application Descriptor file. The jar file is a zipped archive of classes and resources, whereas, the Java Application Descriptor file contains information about the Mid-let that is used by the mobile device for installation. Some of the popular applications on mobile devices developed using J2ME are –

• Gmail for Mobile – This is designed using J2ME technology, to be more reliable in low signal areas and provides basic offline support.
• Opera Mini – This is an excellent browser and works on almost any mobile device.

Source by Anand Raju