64bit jdk applications can be run on 32bit jres?

[emzic]

hello,

if i use sun's 64bit jdk, will the applications i build with it only be runnable on 64bit jres or will they run on the more widely spread 32bit jres as well?

speaking of 64bit. if i am not mistaken, there is no javaws.exe shipping with suns 64bit jre. does anyone know of a way to still get webstart (jnlp) running on 64bit?

thanks!

[erikd]

will they run on the more widely spread 32bit jres as well?

Of course! It's only the VM that's 64bit, the byte code is platform independent. WORA, remember? 

[emzic]

thanks! but then why do some java software explicitly require a 64bit jvm to run?

example: eclipse
http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/downloads/drops/S-3.4M6a-200804091425/download.php?dropFile=eclipse-SDK-3.4M6a-win32-x86_64.zip

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[Riven]

It relies on native libraries (like SWT)

[emzic]

ok, thanks!

but what do natives have to do with the JVM then? i thought they are executed by the OS (which of course has to be 64bit) itself and not by the VM.

[erikd]

ok, thanks!

but what do natives have to do with the JVM then? i thought they are executed by the OS (which of course has to be 64bit) itself and not by the VM.

The native .dll is called by the JVM through JNI. I could imagine that calling a 64bit native from a 32bit JVM won't work.