The extreme ease with which Java .class files can be reconstructed into Java sources that closely resemble the originals has a lot to do with Java byte-code design goals and trade-offs. Among ...

Find out how source code is compiled for different programming languages and computer architectures, including the evolution from FORTRAN to CLR and JIT compilers.

A Java compiler translates Java source code into Java byte code. Only one byte code is then accepted by any environment capable of running Java.

Not anymore. Last year, [Michael] wrote Java Grinder, a Java byte-code compiler that compiles classes into assembly language instead of being part of a JVM.

An academic paper [PDF] published in 2018 identified a code snippet Lundblad posted on the site as the most copied Java code taken from StackOverflow and then re-used in open source projects.

With Java running critical applications the world over, the nearly 25-year-old programming language must balance its community’s affection for its syntax with new trends.