Java archive
<file format, filename extension>
(jar) A compressed archive file containing Java class files, filename extension: ".jar". The Java Development Kit contains a tool called "jar" for creating .jar files, similar to the standard Unix tar command. As well as archiving and compressing the Java class files, it also inserts a "manifest" file which can contain information about the class files, such as a digital signature. Combining class files into a single archive file makes it possible to download them in a single HTTP transaction. This, and the compression, speeds up execution of Java programs delivered via the Internet.
(2001}-02-03)Nearby terms:
Java 2 Software Development Kit ♦ Java archive ♦ JavaBeans ♦ Java Community Process
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