List<ReferenceType> definedClasses()

Returns a list of all classes defined by this class loader. No ordering of this list guaranteed. The returned list will include all reference types, including hidden classes or interfaces, loaded at least to the point of preparation, and types (like array) for which preparation is not defined.

List<ReferenceType> visibleClasses()

Returns a list of all classes which this class loader can find by name via ClassLoader::loadClass, Class::forName and bytecode linkage in the target VM. That is, all classes for which this class loader has been recorded as an initiating loader.

Each class in the returned list was created by this class loader either by defining it directly or by delegation to another class loader (see JVMS 5.3).

The returned list does not include hidden classes or interfaces or array classes whose element type is a hidden class or interface. as they cannot be discovered by any class loader

The visible class list has useful properties with respect to the type namespace. A particular type name will occur at most once in the list. Each field or variable declared with that type name in a class defined by this class loader must be resolved to that single type.

No ordering of the returned list is guaranteed.

Note that unlike definedClasses() and VirtualMachine.allClasses(), some of the returned reference types may not be prepared. Attempts to perform some operations on unprepared reference types (e.g. fields()) will throw a ClassNotPreparedException. Use ReferenceType.isPrepared() to determine if a reference type is prepared.