Many implementations of scripting and dynamically typed languages generate Java bytecodes so that programs can be run on the Java Platform, just as are actual Java programs. Implementing a language in this way (or as a Java interpreter class for the scripting language) provides all the advantages of the Java platform: scripting implementations can take advantage of the Java platform's binary portability, security, and high performance bytecode execution.
Java SE includes JSR 223: Scripting for the Java Platform API. This is a framework by which Java applications can "host" script engines. The scripting framework supports third-party script engines using the JAR service discovery mechanism. It is possible to drop any JSR-223 compliant script engine in the CLASSPATH and access the same from your Java applications (much like JDBC drivers, JNDI implementations are accessed).
Java SE Development Kit includes the Nashorn engine, which is an implementation of the ECMAScript Edition 5.1 Language Specification.
