aaload

Operation

Load reference from array

Format

aaload

Forms

aaload = 50 (0x32)

Operand Stack

..., arrayref, index ..., value

Description

The arrayref must be of type reference and must refer to an array whose components are of type reference. The index must be of type int. Both arrayref and index are popped from the operand stack. The reference value in the component of the array at index is retrieved and pushed onto the operand stack.

Runtime Exceptions

If arrayref is null, aaload throws a NullPointerException.

Otherwise, if index is not within the bounds of the array referenced by arrayref, the aaload instruction throws an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException.

aastore

Operation

Store into reference array

Format

aastore

Forms

aastore = 83 (0x53)

Operand Stack

..., arrayref, index, value ...

Description

The arrayref must be of type reference and must refer to an array whose components are of type reference. The index must be of type int and value must be of type reference. The arrayref, index, and value are popped from the operand stack. The reference value is stored as the component of the array at index.

The type of value must be assignment compatible (§2.6.7) with the type of the components of the array referenced by arrayref. Assignment of a value of reference type S (source) to a variable of reference type T (target) is allowed only when the type S supports all the operations defined on type T. The detailed rules follow:

• If S is a class type, then:
  • If T is a class type, then S must be the same class (§2.8.1) as T, or S must be a subclass of T;

  • If T is an interface type, S must implement (§2.13) interface T.

• If S is an interface type, then:
  • If T is a class type, then T must be Object (§2.4.7).

  • If T is an interface type, then T must be the same interface as S or a superinterface of S (§2.13.2).

• If S is an array type, namely, the type SC[], that is, an array of components of type SC, then:
  • If T is a class type, then T must be Object (§2.4.7).

  • If T is an array type TC[], that is, an array of components of type TC, then one of the following must be true:
    • TC and SC are the same primitive type (§2.4.1).

    • TC and SC are reference types (§2.4.6), and type SC is assignable to TC by these runtime rules.

  • If T is an interface type, T must be one of the interfaces implemented by arrays (§2.15).

Runtime Exceptions

If arrayref is null, aastore throws a NullPointerException.

Otherwise, if index is not within the bounds of the array referenced by arrayref, the aastore instruction throws an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException.

Otherwise, if arrayref is not null and the actual type of value is not assignment compatible (§2.6.7) with the actual type of the components of the array, aastore throws an ArrayStoreException.

aconst_null

Operation

Push null

Format

aconst_null

Forms

aconst_null = 1 (0x1)

Operand Stack

... ..., null

Description

Push the null object reference onto the operand stack.

Notes

The Java virtual machine does not mandate a concrete value for null.

aload

Operation

Load reference from local variable

Format

aload
index

Forms

aload = 25 (0x19)

Operand Stack

... ..., objectref

Description

The index is an unsigned byte that must be an index into the local variable array of the current frame (§3.6). The local variable at index must contain a reference. The objectref in the local variable at index is pushed onto the operand stack.

Notes

The aload instruction cannot be used to load a value of type returnAddress from a local variable onto the operand stack. This asymmetry with the astore instruction is intentional.

The aload opcode can be used in conjunction with the wide instruction to access a local variable using a two-byte unsigned index.

aload_<n>

Operation

Load reference from local variable

Format

aload_<n>

Forms

aload_0 = 42 (0x2a) aload_1 = 43 (0x2b) aload_2 = 44 (0x2c) aload_3 = 45 (0x2d)

Operand Stack

... ..., objectref

Description

The <n> must be an index into the local variable array of the current frame (§3.6). The local variable at <n> must contain a reference. The objectref in the local variable at index is pushed onto the operand stack.

Notes

An aload_<n> instruction cannot be used to load a value of type returnAddress from a local variable onto the operand stack. This asymmetry with the corresponding astore_<n> instruction is intentional. Each of the aload_<n> instructions is the same as aload with an index of <n>, except that the operand <n> is implicit.

anewarray

Operation

Create new array of reference

Format

anewarray
indexbyte1
indexbyte2

Forms

anewarray = 189 (0xbd)

Operand Stack

..., count ..., arrayref

Description

The count must be of type int. It is popped off the operand stack. The count represents the number of components of the array to be created. The unsigned indexbyte1 and indexbyte2 are used to construct an index into the runtime constant pool of the current class (§3.6), where the value of the index is (indexbyte1 << 8) | indexbyte2. The runtime constant pool item at that index must be a symbolic reference to a class, array, or interface type. The named class, array, or interface type is resolved (§5.4.3.1). A new array with components of that type, of length count, is allocated from the garbage-collected heap, and a reference arrayref to this new array object is pushed onto the operand stack. All components of the new array are initialized to null, the default value for reference types (§2.5.1).

Linking Exceptions

During resolution of the symbolic reference to the class, array, or interface type, any of the exceptions documented in §5.4.3.1 can be thrown.

Runtime Exception

Otherwise, if count is less than zero, the anewarray instruction throws a NegativeArraySizeException.

Notes

The anewarray instruction is used to create a single dimension of an array of object references or part of a multidimensional array.

areturn

Operation

Return reference from method

Format

areturn

Forms

areturn = 176 (0xb0)

Operand Stack

..., objectref [empty]

Description

The objectref must be of type reference and must refer to an object of a type that is assignment compatible (§2.6.7) with the type represented by the return descriptor (§4.3.3) of the current method. If the current method is a synchronized method, the monitor acquired or reentered on invocation of the method is released or exited (respectively) as if by execution of a monitorexit instruction. If no exception is thrown, objectref is popped from the operand stack of the current frame (§3.6) and pushed onto the operand stack of the frame of the invoker. Any other values on the operand stack of the current method are discarded.

The interpreter then reinstates the frame of the invoker and returns control to the invoker.

Runtime Exceptions

If the current method is a synchronized method and the current thread is not the owner of the monitor acquired or reentered on invocation of the method, areturn throws an IllegalMonitorStateException. This can happen, for example, if a synchronized method contains a monitorexit instruction, but no monitorenter instruction, on the object on which the method is synchronized.

Otherwise, if the virtual machine implementation enforces the rules on structured use of locks described in §8.13 and if the first of those rules is violated during invocation of the current method, then areturn throws an IllegalMonitorStateException.

arraylength

Operation

Get length of array

Format

arraylength

Forms

arraylength = 190 (0xbe)

Operand Stack

..., arrayref ..., length

Description

The arrayref must be of type reference and must refer to an array. It is popped from the operand stack. The length of the array it references is determined. That length is pushed onto the operand stack as an int.

Runtime Exception

If the arrayref is null, the arraylength instruction throws a NullPointerException.

astore

Operation

Store reference into local variable

Format

astore
index

Forms

astore = 58 (0x3a)

Operand Stack

..., objectref ...

Description

The index is an unsigned byte that must be an index into the local variable array of the current frame (§3.6). The objectref on the top of the operand stack must be of type returnAddress or of type reference. It is popped from the operand stack, and the value of the local variable at index is set to objectref.

Notes

The astore instruction is used with an objectref of type returnAddress when implementing the finally clauses of the Java programming language (see Section 7.13, "Compiling finally"). The aload instruction cannot be used to load a value of type returnAddress from a local variable onto the operand stack. This asymmetry with the astore instruction is intentional.

The astore opcode can be used in conjunction with the wide instruction to access a local variable using a two-byte unsigned index.

astore_<n>

Operation

Store reference into local variable

Format

astore_<n>

Forms

astore_0 = 75 (0x4b) astore_1 = 76 (0x4c) astore_2 = 77 (0x4d) astore_3 = 78 (0x4e)

Operand Stack

..., objectref ...

Description

The <n> must be an index into the local variable array of the current frame (§3.6). The objectref on the top of the operand stack must be of type returnAddress or of type reference. It is popped from the operand stack, and the value of the local variable at <n> is set to objectref.

Notes

An astore_<n> instruction is used with an objectref of type returnAddress when implementing the finally clauses of the Java programming language (see Section 7.13, "Compiling finally"). An aload_<n> instruction cannot be used to load a value of type returnAddress from a local variable onto the operand stack. This asymmetry with the corresponding astore_<n> instruction is intentional.

Each of the astore_<n> instructions is the same as astore with an index of <n>, except that the operand <n> is implicit.

athrow

Operation

Throw exception or error

Format

athrow

Forms

athrow = 191 (0xbf)

Operand Stack

..., objectref objectref

Description

The objectref must be of type reference and must refer to an object that is an instance of class Throwable or of a subclass of Throwable. It is popped from the operand stack. The objectref is then thrown by searching the current method (§3.6) for the first exception handler that matches the class of objectref, as given by the algorithm in §3.10.

If an exception handler that matches objectref is found, it contains the location of the code intended to handle this exception. The pc register is reset to that location, the operand stack of the current frame is cleared, objectref is pushed back onto the operand stack, and execution continues.

If no matching exception handler is found in the current frame, that frame is popped. If the current frame represents an invocation of a synchronized method, the monitor acquired or reentered on invocation of the method is released or exited (respectively) as if by execution of a monitorexit instruction. Finally, the frame of its invoker is reinstated, if such a frame exists, and the objectref is rethrown. If no such frame exists, the current thread exits.

Runtime Exceptions

If objectref is null, athrow throws a NullPointerException instead of objectref.

Otherwise, if the method of the current frame is a synchronized method and the current thread is not the owner of the monitor acquired or reentered on invocation of the method, athrow throws an IllegalMonitorStateException instead of the object previously being thrown. This can happen, for example, if an abruptly completing synchronized method contains a monitorexit instruction, but no monitorenter instruction, on the object on which the method is synchronized.

Otherwise, if the virtual machine implementation enforces the rules on structured use of locks described in §8.13 and if the first of those rules is violated during invocation of the current method, then athrow throws an IllegalMonitorStateException instead of the object previously being thrown.

Notes

The operand stack diagram for the athrow instruction may be misleading: If a handler for this exception is matched in the current method, the athrow instruction discards all the values on the operand stack, then pushes the thrown object onto the operand stack. However, if no handler is matched in the current method and the exception is thrown farther up the method invocation chain, then the operand stack of the method (if any) that handles the exception is cleared and objectref is pushed onto that empty operand stack. All intervening frames from the method that threw the exception up to, but not including, the method that handles the exception are discarded.

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The Java^TM Virtual Machine Specification
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