Java for Mac OS X For Mac

Java for OS X is an Apple vetted Java environment, designed to be as highly integrated as possible within its own operating system. Java for OS X has been created to mix OS X's advanced technologies and Java's adaptability and omnipresence on almost all software platforms out there.

The newer Java packages are maintained by Oracle, therefore it is recommended to use Oracle's Java JRE.

It also brings an astounding amount of new applications to the Mac platform, all ready to use and compatible with all macOS releases, past and present.

Java for OS X follows the “Write once, run anywhere” tag line of the Java runtime and this means that developers do not need to make any type of adaptations or modifications to their Java apps in order for them to run on a Mac computer.

Because Java for OS X is so easy installable and the operating system will notify you to install it right away the first time you're trying to run a Java application on your Mac, developers that use it to create their applications can start distributing them on the Mac platform right away.

On account of Java being the only framework with an embedded graphical toolkit, besides Cocoa, Java apps can be designed to provide Mac users with interfaces almost identical to those available in native OS X applications.

Thus, if the developer takes the time to make sure that the OS X look is set as the default for utilities distributed on the OS X platform, the end user will not be able to know if they are built using Java or not.

Java for OS X  also comes with a Control Panel that can be opened via the System Preferences window, using the Java preferences pane. This panel enables you to adjust the runtime network settings, as well as manage the temporary internet files stored by Java on your Mac's hard drive.

Using the same panel, you can also check for newer versions of Java and view and manage the Java runtime versions installed on your Mac via the Java Runtime Environment Settings window.

The Control Panel will also enable you to manage more advanced options related to Application Installation, Secure Execution Environment, Java Console, Debugging and a host of Advanced Security Settings related to certificates and data transfer encryption.

All things considered, Java for OS X is the thing that makes it possible for any application created using the Java framework to run on any Mac, with an interface that makes it look like a native app.