When the Java file is a interface, such as TestInterface.java:
public interface TestInterface {
void method(String parameterName);
}
I compile with javac -g TestInterface.java and then disassemble with javap -v TestInterface, the output is as follows:
Classfile /private/tmp/TestInterface.class
Last modified Mar 17, 2022; size 148 bytes
MD5 checksum da2f58afc0eaf77badc94c90de385198
Compiled from "TestInterface.java"
public interface TestInterface
minor version: 0
major version: 52
flags: ACC_PUBLIC, ACC_INTERFACE, ACC_ABSTRACT
Constant pool:
#1 = Class #7 // TestInterface
#2 = Class #8 // java/lang/Object
#3 = Utf8 method
#4 = Utf8 (Ljava/lang/String;)V
#5 = Utf8 SourceFile
#6 = Utf8 TestInterface.java
#7 = Utf8 TestInterface
#8 = Utf8 java/lang/Object
{
public abstract void method(java.lang.String);
descriptor: (Ljava/lang/String;)V
flags: ACC_PUBLIC, ACC_ABSTRACT
}
SourceFile: "TestInterface.java"
And when the Java file is a class, such as TestClass.java:
public class TestClass {
public void method(String parameterName) {
}
}
Compile with javac -g TestClass.java and then disassemble with javap -v TestClass, the output is as follows:
Classfile /private/tmp/TestClass.class
Last modified Mar 17, 2022; size 389 bytes
MD5 checksum 8e124ecce6632ad6e1a5bb45888a3168
Compiled from "TestClass.java"
public class TestClass
minor version: 0
major version: 52
flags: ACC_PUBLIC, ACC_SUPER
Constant pool:
#1 = Methodref #3.#17 // java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
#2 = Class #18 // TestClass
#3 = Class #19 // java/lang/Object
#4 = Utf8 <init>
#5 = Utf8 ()V
#6 = Utf8 Code
#7 = Utf8 LineNumberTable
#8 = Utf8 LocalVariableTable
#9 = Utf8 this
#10 = Utf8 LTestClass;
#11 = Utf8 method
#12 = Utf8 (Ljava/lang/String;)V
#13 = Utf8 parameterName
#14 = Utf8 Ljava/lang/String;
#15 = Utf8 SourceFile
#16 = Utf8 TestClass.java
#17 = NameAndType #4:#5 // "<init>":()V
#18 = Utf8 TestClass
#19 = Utf8 java/lang/Object
{
public TestClass();
descriptor: ()V
flags: ACC_PUBLIC
Code:
stack=1, locals=1, args_size=1
0: aload_0
1: invokespecial #1 // Method java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
4: return
LineNumberTable:
line 1: 0
LocalVariableTable:
Start Length Slot Name Signature
0 5 0 this LTestClass;
public void method(java.lang.String);
descriptor: (Ljava/lang/String;)V
flags: ACC_PUBLIC
Code:
stack=0, locals=2, args_size=2
0: return
LineNumberTable:
line 5: 0
LocalVariableTable:
Start Length Slot Name Signature
0 1 0 this LTestClass;
0 1 1 parameterName Ljava/lang/String;
}
SourceFile: "TestClass.java"
Why is LocalVariableTable not included in the class file of the interface?
JDK version: 1.8.0_311
The LocalVariableTable describes the scope of the variable - the portion of the bytecode in which the variable is accessible.
In a class, the parameter of a non-abstract method has a scope - it's accessible in the whole of the body of the method. Even when the method is "empty", the bytecode still consists of a single return command.
(There's also the implicit this variable in an instance method, which is also accessible in the whole body of the method).
In an abstract interface method (i.e. not a default or static method), there's no bytecode in which that variable is accessible, because the method has no body, and thus no bytecode. Hence, there's no need for the LocalVariableTable.
An abstract method (whether in an interface or a class) is just a specification which says "implementors need to provide this". There is no implementation, no body etc.
Because that's not how the class file structure works.
According to the JVM spec, the LocalVariableTable is part of a Code attribute:
The
LocalVariableTableattribute is an optional variable-length attribute in theattributestable of aCodeattribute (§4.7.3). It may be used by debuggers to determine the value of a given local variable during the execution of a method.
However, interface methods are abstract (i.e. having the flag ACC_ABSTRACT), so they can't have Code attributes in the first place (§4.7.3).
The
Codeattribute is a variable-length attribute in theattributestable of amethod_infostructure (§4.6). ACodeattribute contains the Java Virtual Machine instructions and auxiliary information for a method [...]If the method is either
nativeorabstract, and is not a class or interface initialization method, then itsmethod_infostructure must not have aCodeattribute in itsattributestable.
So it is not possible for javac to generate a LocalVariableTable for you abstract interface method, even if it wanted to, because that would not produce a correct class file.
Another way to think about it is that the parameter of the method doesn't actually "exist" until you concretely implement it. After all, an abstract method is supposed to just be a "requirement" without "implementations". I don't really see why you would expect there to be local variables, since they are implementation details.