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What Is A Native Method

A native method is a Java method that has its implementation provided by non-Java code. It allows Java code to interface with and call functions written in other languages. A native method is defined in a Java class with the native modifier and a semicolon in place of the method body. This defines the interface, while the actual implementation is provided externally. Native methods extend the functionality of the Java Virtual Machine.

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271 views9 pages

What Is A Native Method

A native method is a Java method that has its implementation provided by non-Java code. It allows Java code to interface with and call functions written in other languages. A native method is defined in a Java class with the native modifier and a semicolon in place of the method body. This defines the interface, while the actual implementation is provided externally. Native methods extend the functionality of the Java Virtual Machine.

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What Is a Native Method?

A native method is the Java interface to non-Java code .


It is Java's link to the "outside world .
More specifically, a native method is a Java method whose
implementation is provided by non-Java code
Most languages provide some mechanism to call routines
written in another language. In C++, you must use the extern
"C" stmt to signal that the C++ compiler is making a call to C
functions
In Java, this is done via native methods. In your Java class,
you mark the methods you wish to implement outside of Java
with the native method modifier-much like you would use the
public or static modifiers
What Is a Native Method?

In Java, this is done via native methods. In your Java class,
you mark the methods you wish to implement outside of Java
with the native method modifier-much like you would use the
public or static modifiers
 Then, rather than supplying the method's body, you simply
place a semicolon in its place. As an example, the following
class defines a variety of native methods

public class IHaveNatives


{
native public void Native1( int x ) ;
native static public long Native2() ;
native synchronized private float Native3( Object o ) ;
native void Native4( int[] ary ) throws Exception ;
}
What Is a Native Method?

native methods look much like any other Java method,


except a single semicolon is in the place of the method body .
Naturally, the body of the method is implemented outside of
Java. What you basically define is the interface into this
external method
Every other Java method modifier can be used along with
native, except abstract
native methods can be static methods, thus not requiring
the creation of an object (or instance of a class)
native methods can limit their visibility with the public,
private, private protected, protected, or unspecified default
access.
Native methods can also be synchronized
What Is a Native Method?

There is no special procedure within the Java code to pass


data to the native method.
A native method can accept and return any of the Java
types-including class types.
the power of exception handling is also available to native
methods
When a native method receives complex types, such as
class types (such as Object in the example) or array types
(such as the int[] in the example), it has access to the contents
of those types.
However, the method used to access the contents may vary
depending on the Java implementation being used.
The presence of native methods does not affect how other
classes call those methods.
What Is a Native Method?

The caller does not even realize it is calling a


native method, so no special code is generated, and
the calling convention is the same as for any other
method-the calling depends on the method being
virtual or static
The Java virtual machine will handle all the details
to make the call in the native method implementation
Native methods are very powerful, because they
effectively extend the Java virtual machine.
your Java code already uses native methods. In
the current implementation from Sun, native methods
are used in many places to interface to the
underlying operating system
Uses for Native Methods

Accessing Outside the Java Environment


Accessing the Operating System
Embedded Java
Custom Hardware
Sun's Java
Performance
Accessing Existing Libraries
Benefits of Native Methods

Platform Neutrality
Security Concerns
System Safety
Dependence on the Java Implementation
A Java Class with Native
Methods
simple look at a Java class containing native methods. This class encapsulates the
base and height of a triangle and contains a native method named ComputeArea that
calculates the area of the triangle
Triangle.java.
public class Triangle {
public void SetBase(float fInBase) {
fBase = fInBase;
}
public void SetHeight(float fInHeight) {
fHeight = fInHeight;
}
public native float ComputeArea();
// Load the native routines.
static {
System.loadLibrary("Triangle");
}
float fBase;
float fHeight;
}
A Java Class with Native
Methods
Compiling the Java Class
C:\java\classes\Triangle> javac Triangle.java

C:\java\classes\Triangle>
Using javah to Generate the Header File
C:\java\classes\Triangle> javah Triangle.java

C:\java\classes\Triangle>
Using javah-stubs to Generate a Stubs File
C:\java\classes\Triangle> javah -stubs Triangle

C:\java\classes\Triangle>

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