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Bytecode basics

A first look at the bytecodes of the Java virtual machine

By Bill Venners, JavaWorld.com, 09/01/96

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Page 4 of 10

Opcode Operand(s) Description
lconst_0 (none) pushes long 0 onto the stack
lconst_1 (none) pushes long 1 onto the stack
dconst_0 (none) pushes double 0 onto the stack
dconst_1 (none) pushes double 1 onto the stack

One other opcode pushes an implicit constant value onto the stack. The aconst_null opcode, shown in the following table, pushes a null object reference onto the stack. The format of an object reference depends upon the JVM implementation. An object reference will somehow refer to a Java object on the garbage-collected heap. A null object reference indicates an object reference variable does not currently refer to any valid object. The aconst_null opcode is used in the process of assigning null to an object reference variable.

Opcode Operand(s) Description
aconst_null (none) pushes a null object reference onto the stack

Two opcodes indicate the constant to push with an operand that immediately follows the opcode. These opcodes, shown in the following table, are used to push integer constants that are within the valid range for byte or short types. The byte or short that follows the opcode is expanded to an int before it is pushed onto the stack, because every slot on the Java stack is 32 bits wide. Operations on bytes and shorts that have been pushed onto the stack are actually done on their int equivalents.

Opcode Operand(s) Description
bipush byte1 expands byte1 (a byte type) to an int and pushes it onto the stack
sipush byte1, byte2 expands byte1, byte2 (a short type) to an int and pushes it onto the stack

Three opcodes push constants from the constant pool. All constants associated with a class, such as final variables values, are stored in the class's constant pool. Opcodes that push constants from the constant pool have operands that indicate which constant to push by specifying a constant pool index. The Java virtual machine will look up the constant given the index, determine the constant's type, and push it onto the stack.

The constant pool index is an unsigned value that immediately follows the opcode in the bytecode stream. Opcodes lcd1 and lcd2 push a 32-bit item onto the stack, such as an int or float. The difference between lcd1 and lcd2 is that lcd1 can only refer to constant pool locations one through 255 because its index is just 1 byte. (Constant pool location zero is unused.) lcd2 has a 2-byte index, so it can refer to any constant pool location. lcd2w also has a 2-byte index, and it is used to refer to any constant pool location containing a long or double, which occupy 64 bits. The opcodes that push constants from the constant pool are shown in the following table:

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Resources
  • Previous Under The Hood articles:
  • The lean, mean virtual machine -- Gives an introduction to the Java virtual machine. Look here to see how the garbage collected heap fits in with the other parts of the JVM.
  • The Java class file lifestyle -- Gives an overview to the Java class file, the file format into which all Java programs are compiled.
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