J2ME Interview Preparation Guide

Java 2 Micro Edition is a group of specifications and technologies that pertain to Java on small devices. The J2ME moniker covers a wide range of devices, from pagers and mobile telephones through set-top boxes and car navigation systems. The J2ME world is divided into configurations and profiles, specifications that describe a Java environment for a specific class of device.

The J2ME Wireless Toolkit is a set of tools that provides developers with an emulation environment, documentation and examples for developing Java applications for small devices. The J2ME WTK is based on the Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) and Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) reference implementations, and can be tightly integrated with Forte for Java

802.11 is a group of specifications for wireless networks developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). 802.11 uses the Ethernet protocol and CSMA/CA (carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance) for path sharing.

An Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of classes that you can use in your own application. Sometimes called libraries or modules, APIs enable you to write an application without reinventing common pieces of code. For example, a networking API is something your application can use to make network connections, without your ever having to understand the underlying code.

Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) is a first-generation analog, circuit-switched cellular phone network. Originally operating in the 800 MHz band, service was later expanded to include transmissions in the 1900 MHz band, the VHF range in which most wireless carriers operate. Because AMPS uses analog signals, it cannot transmit digital signals and cannot transport data packets without assistance from newer technologies such as TDMA and CDMA.

The Connected Device Configuration (CDC) is a specification for a J2ME configuration. Conceptually, CDC deals with devices with more memory and processing power than CLDC; it is for devices with an always-on network connection and a minimum of 2 MB of memory available for the Java system.

Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is a cellular technology widely used in North America. There are currently three CDMA standards: CDMA One, CDMA2000 and W-CDMA. CDMA technology uses UHF 800Mhz-1.9Ghz frequencies and bandwidth ranges from 115Kbs to 2Mbps.

Also know as IS-95, CDMAOne is a 2nd generation wireless technology. Supports speeds from 14.4Kbps to 115K bps.

Also known as IS-136, CDMA2000 is a 3rd generation wireless technology. Supports speeds ranging from 144Kbps to 2Mbps.

Developed by Nortel Networks, Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) is an open standard for supporting wireless Internet access from cellular devices. CDPD also supports Multicast, which allows content providers to efficiently broadcast information to many devices at the same time.