Java Class Loading and Class Loaders — Lecture Notes

These notes are a very brief introduction to the subject of Java class loading and class loaders. For detailed information, see the Further Reading.

First Slide — Last Slide

1.	Terminology
2.	Where Do Class Files Come From? 2.1.   Java Compiler 2.2.   Other Language Compiler 2.3.   Class File Assembler 2.4.   Class File Synthesizer
3.	The Class File Format 3.1.   Constant Pool 3.2.   Class Declaration 3.3.   Fields 3.3.1.   Field Info 3.4.   Methods 3.4.1.   Method Info 3.4.2.   Code Attribute 3.4.3.   Exception Info 3.5.   Class Attributes
4.	The Class Loading Process 4.1.   Loading 4.2.   Linking 4.2.1.   Verification 4.2.2.   Preparation 4.2.3.   Resolution 4.3.   Initialization
5.	The J2SE Class Loader Architecture 5.1.   Class Loader Hierarchy 5.2.   User-Defined Class Loaders
6.	The J2ME CLDC Class Loader Architecture
7.	Class Loaders and Security
8.	Class Loading Alternatives: Research Directions 8.1.   Problems With Class Loaders 8.2.   Class Identity Based On One-Way Hash Functions 8.3.   Package Membership Based On One-Way Accumulators 8.4.   A New Class File Format 8.5.   A New Class Loader Architecture
9.	Further Reading

Alan Kaminsky Department of Computer Science Rochester Institute of Technology

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Copyright © 2001 Rochester Institute of Technology. All rights reserved. Last updated 13-Dec-2001. Please send comments to ark­@­cs.rit.edu.