Java bytecode is the instruction set of the Java virtual machine (JVM),

the language to which Java and other JVM-compatible source code is

compiled.cite-ref-oracle-jvm-spec-1-0[1] Each instruction is represented by a single byte, hence the

name bytecode, making it a compact form of data.cite-ref-jvm-book-2-0[2]

Due to the nature of bytecode, a Java bytecode program is runnable on

any machine with a compatible JVM, without the lengthy process of

compiling from source code.

Java bytecode is used at runtime either interpreted by a JVM or compiled

to machine code via just-in-time (JIT) compilation and run as a native

application.

As Java bytecode is designed for a cross-platform compatibility and

security, a Java bytecode application tends to run consistently across

various hardware and software configurations.cite-ref-3[3]