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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]

• Relation to Java

• Instruction set architecture

• Instruction set

• Example

• Generation

• Execution

• Support for dynamic languages

• See also

• References

• External links

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