What is JavaME (J2ME) and JSRs

What's JavaME (J2ME)?
The Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) provides a robust, flexible environment for applications running on consumer devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, TV set-top boxes,
printers and a broad range of other embedded devices. Like its counterparts for the enterprise (Java EE) and desktop (Java SE), Java ME includes Java virtual machines and a set of standard Java APIs — the JSRs — defined through the Java Community Process (JCP), by expert groups whose members include leading device manufacturers, software vendors, and service providers. The Java ME platform is deployed on millions of devices, supported by leading tool vendors, and used by companies worldwide. In short, it is the platform of choice for today's consumer and embedded devices. 

Java ME Optional Packages — Existing JSRs

Java ME is an extensible platform that continuously expands to address new and upcoming technologies. Each JSR defines a Java API related to the issues it adresses. Unfortunately, not all mobile phone supports all existing JSRs. As a Java ME programmer, you have to look at each handset specification page on this site and see the list of the JSR it supports. 

JSR	Name	Description
JSR-75	PDAP	PIM & File Data API — Add Remove phone contacts — Calandar events and recurring events — Alarms — File access, Secure Digital card, Memory Stick card — Ringtone location is platform dependent – but maybe accessible — No write access to system filesystem areas
JSR-82	BTAPI	Bluetooth API — Search for Bluetooth devices — Query device profiles and capabilities — Open stream connection to device
JSR-118	MIDP2.0	Mobile Information Device Profile 2.0 Adds the following to MIDP1.0: — UDP/Sockets/Secure Sockets/Server Sockets and access to serial ports — Additional image formats (GIF / JPG / WMB) — PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) wave format and/or additional sampled/synthetic sound formats — Copy protection of MIDlet suites — Discovery/Installation of MIDlets via other mechanisms (InfraRed/Bluetooth/etc) — Custom 'built-from-scratch' UIs (e.g. www.thinlet.com)
JSR-120	WMA1.0	Wireless Messaging API 1.0 — Includes support for Short Message Service (SMS), Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) and Cell Broadcast Service (CBS) — Push capabilities (launching a MIDlet on message receipt)
JSR-135	MMAPI	Mobile Media API — MMAPI provides support for accessing and controlling time-based media such as audio and video — MMAPI is a superset of MIDP 2.0 multimedia capabilities, adding support for playback and capture of image and video
JSR-139	CLDC1.1	Connected Limited Device Configuration 1.1 Add the following to CLDC 1.0: — Floating point maths support — Weak references support
JSR-172	WSAPI	J2ME Web Services Specification The purpose of this specification is to define an optional package that provides standard access from J2ME to web services.
JSR-177	SATSA	Security and Trust API — Provides support for the management of user certificates — Provides support for user authentication using certificates — Allows for J2ME applications to communicate with SmartCard-based applications and also to general purpose encryption functionalities — Provides security through the addition of a Security Element usable in operations
JSR-179	LAPI	Location API An Optional Package that enables developers to write mobile location-based applications for resource-limited devices. The API works on the J2ME CLDC v1.1 and CDC configurations.
JSR-180	SIPAPI	SIP API SIP API for J2ME defines a multipurpose SIP API for J2ME clients. It enables SIP applications to be executed in memory limited terminals, especially targeting to mobile phones.
JSR-184	M3G	Mobile 3D Graphics — Provide an efficient 3D Graphics API suitable for the J2ME platform (focused on CLDC/MIDP) — Supports scene graph API (high-level) and immediate API (low-level, subset of OpenGL) — Provides importer functions for textures, meshes, animations, and scene hierarchies — Includes tight integration with MIDP
JSR-185	JTWI	Java Technology for the Wireless Industry 1.0 This JSR provides an overall architectural description as well as an integrated TCK and RI to coordinate selected JCP efforts for the wireless industry.
JSR-205	WMA2	Wireless Messaging API 2.0 — Extends JSR120 with support for Multimedia Message Service (MMS), MIME attachments and multipart messages — Allows for MMS content to be protected using Digital Rights Management (DRM)
JSR-209	AGUI	Advanced GUI — Slimming operation of the Swing GUI toolkit from J2SE — Java 2D graphics engine preserved — Imaging API and Image load/save framework preserved — Input Method framework preserved — Pluggable Look And Feel dropped
JSR-211	CHAPI	Content Handler API Enabling J2ME applications to handle multi-media and web content can give developers and users a seamless and integrated user environment on mobile phones and wireless devices.
JSR-226	SVGAPI	Scalable 2D Vector Graphics API This specification defines an optional package API for rendering scalable 2D vector graphics, including image files in W3C Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format.
JSR-234	AMMSAPI	Advanced Multimedia Supplements API This specification defines an optional package for advanced multimedia functionality which is targeted to run as an supplement in connection with MMAPI (JSR-135) in J2ME/CLDC environment.
JSR-238	MIAPI	Mobile Internationalization API This JSR defines an API that provides culturally correct data formatting, sorting of text strings and application resource processing for J2ME MIDlets running in MIDP over CLDC.
JSR-239	OpenGL ES	Java bindings for OpenGL ES API This JSR provides bindings to the OpenGL ES (Embedded Subset) native 3D graphics library.
JSR-248	MSA	MSA Umbrella This JSR creates a mobile service architecture and platform definition for the high volume wireless handsets continuing the work started in JSR-185 and enhancing the definition with new technologies.
JSR-248full	MSA	Fully featured MSA — JSR 172 Web Services — JSR 177 Security & Trust — JSR 179 Location — JSR 180 SIP (for VoIP, IMS etc) — JSR 211 Content Handler — JSR 229 Payment — JSR 234 Multimedia Supplements — JSR 238 Internationalization — JSR 248 MSA subset
JSR-256	MSAPI	Mobile Sensor API The API provides general Sensor API that extends the usability and choice of sensors for J2ME applications. It defines generic sensor functionality optimized for the resource-constrained devices like mobile devices.
JSR-257	CCAPI	Contactless Communications API This specification defines J2ME Optional Packages for contactless communication, one package for bi-directional communication and the other for accessing read-only information. As currently proposed, JSR 257 would set the stage for both one-way and bi-directional data capture and data integration from RFID, barcode and other existing and standard approaches.
JSR-280	XML API	JSR 280 provides subsets of several key XML APIs for the Java ME platform: — Java API for XML Processing (JAXP) — Simple API for XML (SAX) — Streaming API for XML (StAX, defined in JSR 173) — Document Object Model (DOM) Core and Events