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package com.sun.jdi;

import java.util.List;


A class loader object from the target VM. A ClassLoaderReference is an ObjectReference with additional access to classloader-specific information from the target VM. Instances ClassLoaderReference are obtained through calls to ReferenceType.classLoader 
Author:Gordon Hirsch
See Also:
Since: 1.3
/**
 * A class loader object from the target VM.
 * A ClassLoaderReference is an {@link ObjectReference} with additional
 * access to classloader-specific information from the target VM. Instances
 * ClassLoaderReference are obtained through calls to
 * {@link ReferenceType#classLoader}
 *
 * @see ObjectReference
 *
 * @author Gordon Hirsch
 * @since  1.3
 */
public interface ClassLoaderReference extends ObjectReference {

    
Returns a list of all classes defined by this class loader. No ordering of this list guaranteed. The returned list will include all reference types, including hidden classes or interfaces, loaded at least to the point of preparation, and types (like array) for which preparation is not defined. 
Returns:a List of ReferenceType objects mirroring types defined by this class loader. The list has length 0 if no types have been defined by this classloader.
/**
     * Returns a list of all classes defined by this class loader.
     * No ordering of this list guaranteed.
     * The returned list will include all reference types, including
     * {@linkplain Class#isHidden hidden classes or interfaces}, loaded
     * at least to the point of preparation, and types (like array)
     * for which preparation is not defined.
     *
     * @return a {@code List} of {@link ReferenceType} objects mirroring types
     * defined by this class loader. The list has length 0 if no types
     * have been defined by this classloader.
     */
    List<ReferenceType> definedClasses();

    
Returns a list of all classes which this class loader can find by name via 
ClassLoader::loadClass, Class::forName and bytecode linkage in the target VM. That is, all classes for which this class loader has been recorded as an initiating loader. 

Each class in the returned list was created by this class loader
either by defining it directly or by delegation to another class loader
(see JVMS {@jvms 5.3}).

 The returned list does not include 
hidden classes or interfaces or array classes whose element type is a hidden class or interface. as they cannot be discovered by any class loader 

The visible class list has useful properties with respect to
the type namespace. A particular type name will occur at most
once in the list. Each field or variable declared with that
type name in a class defined by
this class loader must be resolved to that single type.


No ordering of the returned list is guaranteed.

 Note that unlike definedClasses() and VirtualMachine.allClasses(), some of the returned reference types may not be prepared. Attempts to perform some operations on unprepared reference types (e.g. fields()) will throw a ClassNotPreparedException. Use ReferenceType.isPrepared() to determine if a reference type is prepared. 
See Also:
Returns:a List of ReferenceType objects mirroring classes which this class loader can find by name. The list has length 0 if no classes are visible to this classloader.
/**
     * Returns a list of all classes which this class loader
     * can find by name via {@link ClassLoader#loadClass(String, boolean)
     * ClassLoader::loadClass}, {@link Class#forName(String) Class::forName}
     * and bytecode linkage in the target VM.  That is, all classes for
     * which this class loader has been recorded as an initiating loader.
     * <p>
     * Each class in the returned list was created by this class loader
     * either by defining it directly or by delegation to another class loader
     * (see JVMS {@jvms 5.3}).
     * <p>
     * The returned list does not include {@linkplain Class#isHidden()
     * hidden classes or interfaces} or array classes whose
     * {@linkplain ArrayType#componentType() element type} is a
     * {@linkplain Class#isHidden() hidden class or interface}.
     * as they cannot be discovered by any class loader
     * <p>
     * The visible class list has useful properties with respect to
     * the type namespace. A particular type name will occur at most
     * once in the list. Each field or variable declared with that
     * type name in a class defined by
     * this class loader must be resolved to that single type.
     * <p>
     * No ordering of the returned list is guaranteed.
     * <p>
     * Note that unlike {@link #definedClasses()}
     * and {@link VirtualMachine#allClasses()},
     * some of the returned reference types may not be prepared.
     * Attempts to perform some operations on unprepared reference types
     * (e.g. {@link ReferenceType#fields() fields()}) will throw
     * a {@link ClassNotPreparedException}.
     * Use {@link ReferenceType#isPrepared()} to determine if
     * a reference type is prepared.
     *
     * @return a {@code List} of {@link ReferenceType} objects mirroring
     * classes which this class loader can find by name. The list
     * has length 0 if no classes are visible to this classloader.
     *
     * @see <a href="{@docRoot}/../specs/jvmti/jvmti.html#GetClassLoaderClasses">
     *     JVM TI GetClassLoaderClasses</a>
     */
    List<ReferenceType> visibleClasses();
}