Java Glossary : invoke

Last updated 2004-06-28 by Roedy Green ©1996-2004 Canadian Mind Products

Java definitions: 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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invoke

To call a method. The JVM has four different types of byte-code instructions for invoking a method. Ordered from slowest to fastest they are:

1. invokeinterface:

   Used to call a method via an interface reference. Method is not at the same slot in each class.

2. invokeinstance:

   Used to call an ordinary instance method. The method is potentially overrideable, so the JVM has to decide at run time which variant to use.

3. invokespecial:

   Used to call a specific instance method, when the particular method is known an compile time, e.g. when the method is final,

4. invokestatic:

   Used to call static methods. There is no object or this parameter to deal with.

Instead of using invokestatic or invokespecial, the compiler might expand the method inline for short methods.

instance ¤ JVM ¤ override ¤ static

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