Java Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME)

    In computing, the Java Platform, Micro Edition or Java ME (still commonly referred to by its previous name: Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition or J2ME) is a specification of a subset of the Java platform aimed at providing a certified collection of Java APIs for the development of software for small, resource-constrained devices such as cell phones, PDAs and set-top boxes.

    Java ME was designed by Sun Microsystems and is a replacement for a similar technology, PersonalJava. Originally developed under the Java Community Process as JSR 68, the different flavors of Java ME have evolved in separate JSRs. Sun provides a reference implementation of the specification, but has tended not to provide free binary implementations of its Java ME runtime environment for mobile devices, rather relying on third parties to provide their own.

    As of 22 December 2006, the Java ME source code is licensed under the GNU General Public License, and is released under the project name phoneME.

    Java ME has become a popular option for creating games for cell phones, as they can be emulated on a PC during the development stage and easily uploaded to phones. This contrasts with the difficulty of developing, testing, and loading games for other special gaming platforms such as those made by Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and others, as expensive system-specific hardware and kits are required.

    Java ME devices implement a profile. The most common of these are the Mobile Information Device Profile aimed at mobile devices, such as cell phones, and the Personal Profile aimed at consumer products and embedded devices like Set-top boxes and PDAs.

    Profiles are subsets of configurations, of which there are currently two: the Connected Limited Device Configuration and the Connected Device Configuration.