Java™ Virtual Machine Specification, The (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Tim Lindholm (Author), Frank Yellin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201432943 | ISBN-13: 978-0201432947 | Publication Date: April 24, 1999 | Edition: 2

The nucleus of the Java(TM) 2 platform, the Java(TM) virtual machine is the technology that enables the Java 2 platform to host applications on any computer or operating system without rewriting or recompiling. The Java virtual machine is also responsible for the compactness of applications targeting the Java 2 platform, and is the basis for its security capabilities. This book was written by those directly responsible for the design and implementation of the Java virtual machine, and is the complete and definitive specification for the technology. It is an essential reference for writers of compilers for the Java programming language and implementors of the Java virtual machine. This second edition specifies the newest version of the Java virtual machine and provides a fascinating view into the inner workings of the Java 2 platform. In this book you will find comprehensive coverage of the class file format, the hardware, operating system, and implementation-independent binary format for compiled code. The authors fully describe the instruction set of the Java virtual machine. You will find an entire chapter of examples that demonstrate how to compile code written in the Java programming language into the instruction set of the Java virtual machine. In addition, the book presents a discussion on the vital topic of Java virtual machine threads and their interaction with memory. All in all, this comprehensive, detailed, and methodical presentation provides the information necessary to implement your own fully compatible Java virtual machine. 0201432943B04062001

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you're writing a Java bytecode interpreter--or a compiler that generates binary files for such an interpreter--The Java Virtual Machine Specification has the information you need. It's the definitive document on Java compilers and runtime environments.

The first part of The Java Virtual Machine Specification discusses the relationships among Java program elements like objects, variables, data types, arrays, exceptions and threads, and compile and run time. Implementers of Java compilers and interpreters need to understand this stuff, but it also makes fascinating reading for Java programmers--it'll help with writing more efficient applications.

From there, the authors dig into the binary .class file format. They provide information on creating such a file as output from a Java compiler, and also give lots of data on how a Java interpreter should examine a .class file to verify its validity and trustworthiness. The authors explain how to carry out loading and linking operations on the objects a .class file defines.

The latter half of The Java Virtual Machine Specification is pure reference--it's a list of all Java opcodes, their purposes, formats, and accepted operands. There's also information about the exceptions each opcode can throw during compilation and execution.

Helpfully, the authors provide a peek at how Sun's Java compiler (javac) and Java interpreter (java) work, complete with source code. These examples promise to provide developers with hints as they implement their own compilers and runtime environments. --David Wall

Review

This is not a book to enjoy in bed, rather it is 'The Law', delineating how any third-party JVM is to behave if it even hopes to acquire the much-coveted "Java compatible" status. -- JavaWorld

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2 edition (April 24, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201432943
• ISBN-13: 978-0201432947
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #911,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference for the JVM, February 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Java™ Virtual Machine Specification, The (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

If you're writing a Java compiler or Java Virtual Machine, this book is a must-have. It's also great for the serious Java programmer who is interested in the "guts" of how Java works. But if you want a tutorial on the JVM, you'll be better served by another book. Before you buy this book, you should also know that the on-line version is freely available.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars pretty bad, June 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Java™ Virtual Machine Specification, The (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

the authors simply don't know how to present their stuff in an orderly fashion. looks like a rushed job.

go look at John Gough's "Compiling for the .NET Common Language Runtime", which treats a similar topic, and you see the difference. or if you prefer a formal style, look at "Java and the Java Virtual Machine: Definition, Verification, Validation".

3 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars About Inner classes, April 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Java™ Virtual Machine Specification, The (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

I think that Inner classes attribute is not very clear on the book. Say more about super and inner classes