Java Virtual Machine Specification, The [Paperback]

Tim Lindholm (Author), Frank Yellin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Java Series | Publication Date: September 19, 1996

Second Edition now available! The nucleus of the Java programming language, the Java Virtual Machine is the technology responsible for Java's cross-platform delivery, the small size of its compiled code, and its security capabilities. Written by its designers and implementors, this book represents the complete and definitive specification for the Java Virtual Machine. It is an essential reference for compiler writers and Java Virtual Machine implementors. For all Java programmers, the book offers a unique and fascinating internal view of how Java really works. In this book, you will find comprehensive coverage of the Java Virtual Machine class file format and instruction set. In addition, directions for compiling for the Java Virtual Machine with numerous practical examples clarify how the Java Virtual Machine operates in practice. The book also demonstrates the Java Virtual Machine's powerful verification techniques. In all, the book provides sufficient detail to enable you to implement your own fully-compatible Java Virtual Machine. 020163452XB04062001

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

About the Java SeriesThe Java Series books provide definitive reference documentation for Java programmers and end users. They are written by members of the Java team and published under the auspices of JavaSoft, a Sun Microsystems business. The World Wide Web allows Java documentation to be made available over the Internet, either by downloading or as hypertext. Nevertheless, the worldwide interest in Java technology led us to write and publish these books to supplement all of the documentation at our Web site.Our editor Mike Hendrickson and his team have done a superb job of navigating us through the world of publishing. Within Sun, the support of James Gosling, Ruth Hennigar, Jon Kannegaard, and Bill Joy ensured that this series would have the resources it needed to be successful. In addition to the tremendous effort by individual authors, many members of the JavaSoft team have contributed behind the scenes to bring the highest level of quality and engineering to the books in the Series. A personal note of thanks to my children Christopher and James for putting a positive spin on the many trips to my office during the development of the Series.

Lisa Friendly
Series Editor

PrefaceThis book has been written as a complete specification for the Java Virtual Machine. It is essential for compiler writers who wish to target a Java Virtual Machine and for programmers who want to implement a compatible Java Virtual Machine. It is also a definitive source for anyone who wants to know exactly how the Java programming language works.

The Java Virtual Machine is an abstract design. This book serves as documentation for a concrete implementation of Java (including Sun's) only as a blueprint documents a house. Any implementation of Java must embody this specification of the Java Virtual Machine, but is constrained by it only where absolutely necessary.

This book describes Version 1.0.2 of the Java Virtual Machine, which is compatible with Version 1.0.2 of the Java programming language, as specified in The Java Language Specification (Addison-Wesley, 1996). Future versions of the Java Virtual Machine will be backward compatible with this specification.

We intend that this specification should sufficiently document the Java Virtual Machine to make possible compatible clean-room implementations. Sun provides tests which verify the proper operation of implementations of the Java Virtual Machine. If you are considering constructing your own implementation, please contact us at the email address below to obtain assistance to ensure the 100% compatibility of your implementation.

Send comments on this specification or questions about implementing the Java Virtual Machine to our electronic mail address: [e-mail].

The original Java Virtual Machine was designed by James Gosling in 1992. It evolved to its present form through the direct and indirect efforts of many people, spanning Sun's Green Project, FirstPerson, Inc., the LiveOak project, Java Products Group, and JavaSoft. The authors are grateful to the many contributors.

This book began as internal project documentation. Kathy Walrath edited this early work, helping to give the world its first look at the internals of Java. It was then converted to HTML by Mary Campione and was made available on our Web site before being expanded into book form.

The present document owes much to the support of the group led by General Manager Ruth Hennigar and to the efforts of series editor Lisa Friendly and Mike Hendrickson of Addison-Wesley. The many criticisms and suggestions received from reviewers of early online drafts, as well as drafts of the book, improved its quality immensely. We owe special thanks to Richard Tuck for his careful review of the manuscript and to the authors of The Java Language Specification for allowing us to quote extensively from that book. Particular thanks to Bill Joy whose comments, reviews, and guidance have contributed greatly to the completeness and accuracy of this book.

Tim Lindholm
Frank Yellin
JavaSoft
June, 1996

020163452XP04062001

From the Back Cover

Second Edition
now available!

The nucleus of the Java programming language, the Java Virtual Machine is the technology responsible for Java's cross-platform delivery, the small size of its compiled code, and its security capabilities.

Written by its designers and implementors, this book represents the complete and definitive specification for the Java Virtual Machine. It is an essential reference for compiler writers and Java Virtual Machine implementors. For all Java programmers, the book offers a unique and fascinating internal view of how Java really works.

In this book, you will find comprehensive coverage of the Java Virtual Machine class file format and instruction set. In addition, directions for compiling for the Java Virtual Machine with numerous practical examples clarify how the Java Virtual Machine operates in practice. The book also demonstrates the Java Virtual Machine's powerful verification techniques. In all, the book provides sufficient detail to enable you to implement your own fully-compatible Java Virtual Machine. 020163452XB04062001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 475 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub (Sd) (September 19, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020163452X
• ISBN-13: 978-0201634525
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #838,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good book for a serioud reader-Has a lot info in it, August 22, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Java Virtual Machine Specification, The (Paperback)

This book is only for a serioud reader. Can be used as a reference for a compiler designer, a machine designer. But The book is not well organized in its contents. So give special care while reading it. I feel this is a best book for core information.

Boby John Anchanattu

42 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Be careful of the copyright and license agreement!, May 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Java Virtual Machine Specification, The (Paperback)

This book has a very unusual copyright notice. By using the information in this book, you implicitly enter into an agreement with Sun microsystems where any clean room Java implementations you write, from scratch, have to be submitted to Sun for conformance testing. I did not discover this until years after I bought the book. This kind of a "contract-by-fait-accompli" is illegal and unenforceable, but it may still be a pain to deal with. I suggest the Meyer and Downing book instead, since it is unencumbered.