W3cubDocs

Interface ValueLayout

All Superinterfaces:: MemoryLayout

All Known Subinterfaces:: AddressLayout, ValueLayout.OfBoolean, ValueLayout.OfByte, ValueLayout.OfChar, ValueLayout.OfDouble, ValueLayout.OfFloat, ValueLayout.OfInt, ValueLayout.OfLong, ValueLayout.OfShort

public sealed interface ValueLayout extends MemoryLayout permits ValueLayout.OfBoolean, ValueLayout.OfByte, ValueLayout.OfChar, ValueLayout.OfShort, ValueLayout.OfInt, ValueLayout.OfFloat, ValueLayout.OfLong, ValueLayout.OfDouble, AddressLayout

A layout that models values of basic data types. Examples of values modeled by a value layout are integral values (either signed or unsigned), floating-point values and address values.

Each value layout has a size, an alignment (both expressed in bytes), a byte order, and a carrier, that is, the Java type that should be used when accessing a region of memory using the value layout.

This class defines useful value layout constants for Java primitive types and addresses.

API Note:: Some characteristics of the Java layout constants are platform-dependent. For instance, the byte order of these constants is set to the native byte order, thus making it easy to work with other APIs, such as arrays and ByteBuffer.
Implementation Requirements:: implementing classes and subclasses are immutable, thread-safe and value-based.
Sealed Class Hierarchy Graph:
Since:: 22

Nested Class Summary

Modifier and Type	Interface	Description
`static interface`	`ValueLayout.OfBoolean`	A value layout whose carrier is `boolean.class`.
`static interface`	`ValueLayout.OfByte`	A value layout whose carrier is `byte.class`.
`static interface`	`ValueLayout.OfChar`	A value layout whose carrier is `char.class`.
`static interface`	`ValueLayout.OfDouble`	A value layout whose carrier is `double.class`.
`static interface`	`ValueLayout.OfFloat`	A value layout whose carrier is `float.class`.
`static interface`	`ValueLayout.OfInt`	A value layout whose carrier is `int.class`.
`static interface`	`ValueLayout.OfLong`	A value layout whose carrier is `long.class`.
`static interface`	`ValueLayout.OfShort`	A value layout whose carrier is `short.class`.

Nested classes/interfaces declared in interface MemoryLayout

MemoryLayout.PathElement

Field Summary

Modifier and Type	Field	Description
`static final AddressLayout`	`ADDRESS`	An address layout constant whose size is the same as that of a machine address (`size_t`), byte alignment set to `sizeof(size_t)`, byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final AddressLayout`	`ADDRESS_UNALIGNED`	An unaligned address layout constant whose size is the same as that of a machine address (`size_t`), and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfBoolean`	`JAVA_BOOLEAN`	A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `boolean`, byte alignment set to 1, and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfByte`	`JAVA_BYTE`	A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `byte`, byte alignment set to 1, and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfChar`	`JAVA_CHAR`	A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `char`, byte alignment set to 2, and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfChar`	`JAVA_CHAR_UNALIGNED`	An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `char` and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfDouble`	`JAVA_DOUBLE`	A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `double`, byte alignment set to 8, and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfDouble`	`JAVA_DOUBLE_UNALIGNED`	An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `double` and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfFloat`	`JAVA_FLOAT`	A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `float`, byte alignment set to 4, and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfFloat`	`JAVA_FLOAT_UNALIGNED`	An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `float` and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfInt`	`JAVA_INT`	A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `int`, byte alignment set to 4, and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfInt`	`JAVA_INT_UNALIGNED`	An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `int` and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfLong`	`JAVA_LONG`	A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `long`, byte alignment set to 8, and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfLong`	`JAVA_LONG_UNALIGNED`	An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `long` and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfShort`	`JAVA_SHORT`	A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `short`, byte alignment set to 2, and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.
`static final ValueLayout.OfShort`	`JAVA_SHORT_UNALIGNED`	An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java `short` and byte order set to `ByteOrder.nativeOrder()`.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`Class<?>`	`carrier()`	Returns the carrier associated with this value layout.
`ByteOrder`	`order()`	Returns the value's byte order.
`VarHandle`	`varHandle()`	Returns a var handle which can be used to access values described by this value layout, in a given memory segment.
`ValueLayout`	`withByteAlignment(long byteAlignment)`	Returns a memory layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with the given alignment constraint (in bytes).
`ValueLayout`	`withName(String name)`	Returns a memory layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with the given name.
`ValueLayout`	`withOrder(ByteOrder order)`	Returns a value layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with the given byte order.
`ValueLayout`	`withoutName()`	Returns a memory layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with no name.

Methods declared in interface MemoryLayout

arrayElementVarHandle, byteAlignment, byteOffset, byteOffsetHandle, byteSize, equals, hashCode, name, scale, scaleHandle, select, sliceHandle, toString, varHandle

Field Details

ADDRESS

static final AddressLayout ADDRESS

An address layout constant whose size is the same as that of a machine address (size_t), byte alignment set to sizeof(size_t), byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder().

JAVA_BYTE

static final ValueLayout.OfByte JAVA_BYTE

A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java byte, byte alignment set to 1, and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder().

JAVA_BOOLEAN

static final ValueLayout.OfBoolean JAVA_BOOLEAN

A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java boolean, byte alignment set to 1, and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder().

JAVA_CHAR

static final ValueLayout.OfChar JAVA_CHAR

A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java char, byte alignment set to 2, and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder().

JAVA_SHORT

static final ValueLayout.OfShort JAVA_SHORT

A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java short, byte alignment set to 2, and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder().

JAVA_INT

static final ValueLayout.OfInt JAVA_INT

A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java int, byte alignment set to 4, and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder().

JAVA_LONG

static final ValueLayout.OfLong JAVA_LONG

A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java long, byte alignment set to 8, and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder().

JAVA_FLOAT

static final ValueLayout.OfFloat JAVA_FLOAT

A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java float, byte alignment set to 4, and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder().

JAVA_DOUBLE

static final ValueLayout.OfDouble JAVA_DOUBLE

A value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java double, byte alignment set to 8, and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder().

ADDRESS_UNALIGNED

static final AddressLayout ADDRESS_UNALIGNED

An unaligned address layout constant whose size is the same as that of a machine address (size_t), and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder(). Equivalent to the following code:

ADDRESS.withByteAlignment(1);

API Note:: Care should be taken when using unaligned value layouts as they may induce performance and portability issues.

JAVA_CHAR_UNALIGNED

static final ValueLayout.OfChar JAVA_CHAR_UNALIGNED

An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java char and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder(). Equivalent to the following code:

JAVA_CHAR.withByteAlignment(1);

API Note:: Care should be taken when using unaligned value layouts as they may induce performance and portability issues.

JAVA_SHORT_UNALIGNED

static final ValueLayout.OfShort JAVA_SHORT_UNALIGNED

An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java short and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder(). Equivalent to the following code:

JAVA_SHORT.withByteAlignment(1);

API Note:: Care should be taken when using unaligned value layouts as they may induce performance and portability issues.

JAVA_INT_UNALIGNED

static final ValueLayout.OfInt JAVA_INT_UNALIGNED

An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java int and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder(). Equivalent to the following code:

JAVA_INT.withByteAlignment(1);

API Note:: Care should be taken when using unaligned value layouts as they may induce performance and portability issues.

JAVA_LONG_UNALIGNED

static final ValueLayout.OfLong JAVA_LONG_UNALIGNED

An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java long and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder(). Equivalent to the following code:

JAVA_LONG.withByteAlignment(1);

API Note:: Care should be taken when using unaligned value layouts as they may induce performance and portability issues.

JAVA_FLOAT_UNALIGNED

static final ValueLayout.OfFloat JAVA_FLOAT_UNALIGNED

An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java float and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder(). Equivalent to the following code:

JAVA_FLOAT.withByteAlignment(1);

API Note:: Care should be taken when using unaligned value layouts as they may induce performance and portability issues.

JAVA_DOUBLE_UNALIGNED

static final ValueLayout.OfDouble JAVA_DOUBLE_UNALIGNED

An unaligned value layout constant whose size is the same as that of a Java double and byte order set to ByteOrder.nativeOrder(). Equivalent to the following code:

JAVA_DOUBLE.withByteAlignment(1);

API Note:: Care should be taken when using unaligned value layouts as they may induce performance and portability issues.

Method Details

order

ByteOrder order()

Returns the value's byte order.

Returns:: the value's byte order

withOrder

ValueLayout withOrder(ByteOrder order)

Returns a value layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with the given byte order.

Parameters:: order - the desired byte order
Returns:: a value layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with the given byte order

withoutName

ValueLayout withoutName()

Returns a memory layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with no name.

Specified by:

withoutName in interface MemoryLayout

Returns:

a memory layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with no name

See Also:

carrier

Class<?> carrier()

Returns the carrier associated with this value layout.

Returns:: the carrier associated with this value layout

withName

ValueLayout withName(String name)

Returns a memory layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with the given name.

Specified by:

withName in interface MemoryLayout

Parameters:

name - the layout name

Returns:

a memory layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with the given name

See Also:

withByteAlignment

ValueLayout withByteAlignment(long byteAlignment)

Returns a memory layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with the given alignment constraint (in bytes).

Specified by:: withByteAlignment in interface MemoryLayout
Parameters:: byteAlignment - the layout alignment constraint, expressed in bytes
Returns:: a memory layout with the same characteristics as this layout, but with the given alignment constraint (in bytes)
Throws:: IllegalArgumentException - if byteAlignment is not a power of two

varHandle

VarHandle varHandle()

Returns a var handle which can be used to access values described by this value layout, in a given memory segment.

The returned var handle's var type is the carrier type of this value layout, and the list of coordinate types is (MemorySegment, long), where the memory segment coordinate corresponds to the memory segment to be accessed, and the long coordinate corresponds to the byte offset into the accessed memory segment at which the access occurs.

The returned var handle checks that accesses are aligned according to this value layout's alignment constraint.

API Note:

This method is similar, but more efficient than calling MemoryLayout#varHandle(PathElement...) with an empty path element array, as it avoids the creation of the var args array., The returned var handle features certain access mode restrictions common to all memory access var handles derived from memory layouts.

Returns:

a var handle which can be used to access values described by this value layout, in a given memory segment

See Also:

© 1993, 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Documentation extracted from Debian's OpenJDK Development Kit package.
Licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2, with the Classpath Exception.
Various third party code in OpenJDK is licensed under different licenses (see Debian package).
Java and OpenJDK are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/25/docs/api/java.base/java/lang/foreign/ValueLayout.html