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From: Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net>
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Subject: Re: "Small" Program Challenge.
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On 6/20/12 4:11 AM, Wanja Gayk wrote:
> In article<jrnqo5$l2o$1@dont-email.me>, -@. says...
>
>> It's just the order that things are done by default.
>>
>> Before the code was:
>>
>> 1. Load class with initialization.
>> 2. Run 'main' method.
>>
>> Now, they do the special step of loading without initialization:
>>
>> 1. Load class without initialization.
>> 2. Verify 'main' method, throw error if not present
>> 3. Initialize class
>> 4. Run 'main' method.
>>
>> You can see how the new method takes more effort.
>
> I'd rather see it as an extension of the bytecode validation mechanism,
> that has to exist anyway:
>
> 1. Load bytecode
> 2. Validate bytecode
>     (exits if there is no 'main' method for the main class)
> 3. Initialize class
> 4. Run 'main' method.
Actually, the way I understand it is that Loading is immediately 
followed by verification.

How I would expect this to work in reality.

1. Load class
2. get a reference to the static method "void main(String[])"
3. Attempt to execute that reference
    3.1 Causes class initialization before execution.
    3.2 actual execution occurs.