ClassLoader class in Java

java.lang.ClassLoader

A class loader is an object that is responsible for loading classes. The class ClassLoader is an abstract class. Given the binary name of a class, a class loader should attempt to locate or generate data that constitutes a definition for the class. A typical strategy is to transform the name into a file name and then read a"class file" of that name from a file system.

Every Class object contains a reference to the ClassLoader that defined it.

Some methods of ClassLoader

clearAssertionStatus(): This method sets the default assertion status for this class loader to false and discards any package defaults or class assertion status settings associated with the class loader.

getDefinedPackage(String): This method returns a Package of the given name that has been defined by this class loader.

getDefinedPackages(): This method returns all of the Packages that have been defined by this class loader. 

getName(): This method returns the name of this class loader or null if this class loader is not named.

getParent(): This method returns the parent class loader for delegation. Some implementations may use null to represent the bootstrap class loader.

ClassLoader.getPlatformClassLoader(): This method returns the platform class loader. All platform classes are visible to the platform class loader.

getResource(String): This method finds the resource with the given name.

getResourceAsStream(String): This method returns an input stream for reading the specified resource.

getResources(String): This method finds all the resources with the given name.

ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader(): This method returns the system class loader. 

ClassLoader.getSystemResource(String): This method finds a resource of the specified name from the search path used to load classes. 

ClassLoader.getSystemResourceAsStream(String): This method is open for reading, a resource of the specified name from the search path used to load classes.

ClassLoader.getSystemResources(String): This method finds all resources of the specified name from the search path used to load classes.

getUnnamedModule(): This method returns the unnamed Module for this class loader.

isRegisteredAsParallelCapable(): This method returns true if this class loader is registered as parallel capable, otherwise false.

loadClass(String): This method loads the class with the specified binary name.

resources(String): This method returns a stream whose elements are the URLs of all the resources with the given name.

setClassAssertionStatus(String, boolean): This method sets the desired assertion status for the named top-level class in this class loader and any nested classes contained therein.

setDefaultAssertionStatus(boolean): This method sets the default assertion status for this class loader.

setPackageAssertionStatus(String, boolean): This method sets the package default assertion status for the named package.