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Interface MethodHandleEntry

All Superinterfaces:: LoadableConstantEntry, PoolEntry

public sealed interface MethodHandleEntry extends LoadableConstantEntry

Models a CONSTANT_MethodHandle_info structure, or a symbolic reference to a method handle, in the constant pool of a class file. The method handle directly accesses an accessible method, field, or constructor.

The use of a MethodHandleEntry is modeled by a DirectMethodHandleDesc. Conversions are through ConstantPoolBuilder.methodHandleEntry(DirectMethodHandleDesc) and asSymbol().

A method handle entry is composite:

MethodHandleEntry(
    int refKind,
    MemberRefEntry reference
)

where refKind is in the range [1, 9].

See Java Virtual Machine Specification:

4.4.8 The CONSTANT_MethodHandle_info Structure

Since:

See Also:

Field Summary

Fields declared in interface PoolEntry

TAG_CLASS, TAG_DOUBLE, TAG_DYNAMIC, TAG_FIELDREF, TAG_FLOAT, TAG_INTEGER, TAG_INTERFACE_METHODREF, TAG_INVOKE_DYNAMIC, TAG_LONG, TAG_METHOD_HANDLE, TAG_METHOD_TYPE, TAG_METHODREF, TAG_MODULE, TAG_NAME_AND_TYPE, TAG_PACKAGE, TAG_STRING, TAG_UTF8

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`DirectMethodHandleDesc`	`asSymbol()`	Returns a symbolic descriptor for this method handle.
`default ConstantDesc`	`constantValue()`	Returns a symbolic descriptor of this constant.
`int`	`kind()`	Returns the reference kind of this method handle (JVMS 4.4.8).
`MemberRefEntry`	`reference()`	Returns the constant pool entry describing the field or method, according to the reference kind.

Methods declared in interface LoadableConstantEntry

typeKind

Methods declared in interface PoolEntry

constantPool, index, tag, width

Method Details

constantValue

default ConstantDesc constantValue()

Returns a symbolic descriptor of this constant.

This is equivalent to asSymbol().

Specified by:

constantValue in interface LoadableConstantEntry

Returns:

a symbolic descriptor of this constant

See Also:

kind

int kind()

Returns the reference kind of this method handle (JVMS 4.4.8).

Returns:

the reference kind of this method handle (JVMS 4.4.8)

See Also:

reference

MemberRefEntry reference()

Returns the constant pool entry describing the field or method, according to the reference kind.

Returns:: the constant pool entry describing the field or method, according to the reference kind

asSymbol

DirectMethodHandleDesc asSymbol()

Returns a symbolic descriptor for this method handle.

Returns:

a symbolic descriptor for this method handle

See Also:

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https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/25/docs/api/java.base/java/lang/classfile/constantpool/MethodHandleEntry.html