What is javap in java ?

[siva chaitanya]

Actually i am new to java. The javap command disassembles a class file.I want to know what disassembles means.

[Ulf Dittmer]

Start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disassembler, http://download.oracle.com/javase/1,5.0/docs/tooldocs/windows/javap.html and http://www.javaranch.com/journal/200607/Journal200607.jsp#a5

[siva chaitanya]

Ulf Dittmer wrote:Start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disassembler, http://download.oracle.com/javase/1,5.0/docs/tooldocs/windows/javap.html and http://www.javaranch.com/journal/200607/Journal200607.jsp#a5

Thank you Dittmer for your reply now i understand what disassembles means. It means converting machine language to assembly language. What iis the use of converting? Directly we can execute that program.

[Ulf Dittmer]

The point is to make the code human readable. With assembly language you have a chance of understanding what's going on; with machine language (which is often in hex) few mere mortals do :-)

[siva chaitanya]

Ulf Dittmer wrote:The point is to make the code human readable. With assembly language you have a chance of understanding what's going on; with machine language (which is often in hex) few mere mortals do :-)

Thank you Dittmer now i understood very well.I also gone through several articles of java and my confusion is cleared now.Once again thank you so much for spending your valuable time for my question.