Book Image

Mastering the Java Virtual Machine

By : Otavio Santana
Book Image

Mastering the Java Virtual Machine

By: Otavio Santana

Overview of this book

Mastering the Java Virtual Machine is a comprehensive guide that will take you into the heart of Java programming, guiding you through the intricate workings of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and equipping you with essential skills to become a proficient Java developer. You’ll start by understanding the JVM, exploring its architecture and how it executes Java code. Through detailed explanations and real-world examples, you’ll gain a deep understanding of JVM internals, enabling you to write efficient and optimized Java applications. As you progress, you’ll delve into memory management and execution, unraveling the complexities of heap and stack management, garbage collection, and memory profiling. You'll learn how memory is allocated and reclaimed in the JVM, as well as how to optimize memory usage and identify performance bottlenecks in your applications. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to create Java programs that are not only robust but also highly performant. By the end of this book, you’ll have the skills needed to excel in Java programming, writing efficient, maintainable code.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Free Chapter
1
Part 1: Understanding the JVM
5
Part 2: Memory Management and Execution
9
Part 3: Alternative JVMs
12
Part 4: Advanced Java Topics

Native method stacks

In the JVM realm, the execution of native methods, those penned in languages beyond Java’s domain, introduces a distinctive memory management facet: native method stacks. These stacks, often synonymous with “C stacks,” serve as the scaffolding for the execution of native methods and may even be leveraged by JVM interpreters implemented in languages such as C.

A JVM implementation employing native method stacks may allocate these stacks per thread, aligning with the thread’s creation. The flexibility of these stacks can manifest in either fixed sizes or dynamic resizing to accommodate the demands of the computation. When fixed, each native method stack’s size can be independently determined upon creation.

For fine-tuning and optimization, JVM implementations might offer control over the initial, maximum, and minimum sizes of native method stacks, empowering programmers or users to tailor the runtime environment to specific...