Table of Contents
Preface to the Java SE 7 Edition xiii
Preface to the Second Edition xv
Preface to the First Edition xvii
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
1.1 A Bit of History 1
1.2 The Java Virtual Machine 2
1.3 Summary of Chapters 3
1.4 Notation 4
Chapter 2: The Structure of the Java Virtual Machine 5
2.1 The class File Format 5
2.2 Data Types 6
2.3 Primitive Types and Values 6
2.4 Reference Types and Values 11
2.5 Run-Time Data Areas 11
2.6 Frames 15
2.7 Representation of Objects 19
2.8 Floating-Point Arithmetic 19
2.9 Special Methods 22
2.10 Exceptions 23
2.11 Instruction Set Summary 25
2.12 Class Libraries 37
2.13 Public Design, Private Implementation 37
Chapter 3: Compiling for the Java Virtual Machine 39
3.1 Format of Examples 39
3.2 Use of Constants, Local Variables, and Control Constructs 40
3.3 Arithmetic 45
3.4 Accessing the Run-Time Constant Pool 46
3.5 More Control Examples 47
3.6 Receiving Arguments 49
3.7 Invoking Methods 50
3.8 Working with Class Instances 53
3.9 Arrays 55
3.10 Compiling Switches 57
3.11 Operations on the Operand Stack 58
3.12 Throwing and Handling Exceptions 59
3.13 Compiling finally 63
3.14 Synchronization 66
3.15 Annotations 67
Chapter 4: The class File Format 69
4.1 The ClassFile Structure 70
4.2 The Internal Form of Names 75
4.3 Descriptors and Signatures 76
4.4 The Constant Pool 82
4.5 Fields 95
4.6 Methods 97
4.7 Attributes 100
4.8 Format Checking 140
4.9 Constraints on Java Virtual Machine code 140
4.10 Verification of class Files 148
4.11 Limitations of the Java Virtual Machine 334
Chapter 5: Loading, Linking, and Initializing 337
5.1 The Run-Time Constant Pool 337
5.2 Java Virtual Machine Startup 340
5.3 Creation and Loading 340
5.4 Linking 347
5.5 Initialization 359
5.6 Binding Native Method Implementations 362
5.7 Java Virtual Machine Exit 362
Chapter 6: The Java Virtual Machine Instruction Set 363
6.1 Assumptions: The Meaning of "Must" 363
6.2 Reserved Opcodes 364
6.3 Virtual Machine Errors 364
6.4 Format of Instruction Descriptions 365
6.5 Instructions 368
Chapter 7: Opcode Mnemonics by Opcode 565
Index 569
Appendix A: Limited License Grant 587
