Chapter 1. Introduction to the Java Virtual Machine
Think about the CPU in your computer. No matter what make or model of CPU you own, it serves the same basic functions as any other CPU: it performs arithmetic calculations, controls access to memory, manages the flow of control of programs, and provides a way for programs to use hardware attached to the system.
Even though all CPUs perform essentially the same job, programs designed for one CPU do not work on another. The developers of Java had a simple idea: design an abstraction of a CPU, and implement it for a variety of computers. Once this virtual computer is implemented on a particular system, all programs written for the virtual computer will run on that system. This allows programmers ...
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