Native methods and the Java Native Interface
Native methods are Java™ methods that start in a language other than Java. Native methods can access system-specific functions and APIs that are not available directly in Java.
The use of native methods limits the portability of an application, because it involves system-specific code. Native methods can either be new native code statements or native code statements that call existing native code.
Once you decide that a native method is required, it may have to interoperate with the Java virtual machine where it runs. The Java Native Interface (JNI) facilitates this interoperability in a platform-neutral way.
The JNI is a set of interfaces that permit a native method to interoperate with the Java virtual machine in numerous ways. For example, the JNI includes interfaces that create new objects and call methods, get fields and set fields, process exceptions, and manipulate strings and arrays.
For a complete description of the JNI, refer to Java Native Interface by Sun Microsystems, Inc.
- Getting started with Java native methods
You should only use native methods in cases where pure Java cannot meet your programming needs. - ILE native methods for Java
The IBM® i Java virtual machine (JVM) supports the use of native methods running in the integrated language environment (ILE). - PASE for i native methods for Java
The IBM i Java virtual machine (JVM) supports the use of native methods running in the PASE for i environment. - Managing native method libraries
To use native method libraries, especially when you want to manage multiple versions of a native method library on your IBM i server, you need to understand both the Java library naming conventions and the library search algorithm. - Java native methods and threads considerations
You can use native methods to access functions that are not available in Java. To better use Java with native methods, you need to understand these concepts.
