Java class loader: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 01:47, 3 January 2012

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Java ClassLoader

The '''Java Classloader''' is a part of the [[Java Runtime Environment]] that dynamically [[Loader (computing)|load]]s [[Java class]]es into the [[Java Virtual Machine]].<ref>{{cite web

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A [[Library (computing)|software library]] is a collection of related [[object code]].

In the [[Java language]], libraries are typically packaged in [[jar-file|Jar files]]. Libraries can contain objects of different types. The most important type of object contained in a Jar file is a [[Java class]]. A class can be thought of as a named unit of code. The class loader is responsible for locating libraries, reading their contents, and loading the classes contained within the libraries. This loading is typically done "on demand", in that it does not occur until the class is actually used by the program. A class with a given name can only be loaded [[Once and only once|once]] by a given classloader.

Each Java class must be loaded by a class loader.<ref name="Christudas">{{cite web