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package java.lang;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
import java.io.ObjectStreamField;

Thrown when an application tries to load in a class through its string name using:
  • The forName method in class Class.
  • The findSystemClass method in class ClassLoader .
  • The loadClass method in class ClassLoader.

but no definition for the class with the specified name could be found.

See Also:
Since: 1.0
/** * Thrown when an application tries to load in a class through its * string name using: * <ul> * <li>The {@code forName} method in class {@code Class}. * <li>The {@code findSystemClass} method in class * {@code ClassLoader} . * <li>The {@code loadClass} method in class {@code ClassLoader}. * </ul> * <p> * but no definition for the class with the specified name could be found. * * @see java.lang.Class#forName(java.lang.String) * @see java.lang.ClassLoader#findSystemClass(java.lang.String) * @see java.lang.ClassLoader#loadClass(java.lang.String, boolean) * @since 1.0 */
public class ClassNotFoundException extends ReflectiveOperationException {
use serialVersionUID from JDK 1.1.X for interoperability
/** * use serialVersionUID from JDK 1.1.X for interoperability */
@java.io.Serial private static final long serialVersionUID = 9176873029745254542L;
Constructs a ClassNotFoundException with no detail message.
/** * Constructs a {@code ClassNotFoundException} with no detail message. */
public ClassNotFoundException() { super((Throwable)null); // Disallow initCause }
Constructs a ClassNotFoundException with the specified detail message.
Params:
  • s – the detail message.
/** * Constructs a {@code ClassNotFoundException} with the * specified detail message. * * @param s the detail message. */
public ClassNotFoundException(String s) { super(s, null); // Disallow initCause }
Constructs a ClassNotFoundException with the specified detail message and optional exception that was raised while loading the class.
Params:
  • s – the detail message
  • ex – the exception that was raised while loading the class
Since:1.2
/** * Constructs a {@code ClassNotFoundException} with the * specified detail message and optional exception that was * raised while loading the class. * * @param s the detail message * @param ex the exception that was raised while loading the class * @since 1.2 */
public ClassNotFoundException(String s, Throwable ex) { super(s, ex); // Disallow initCause }
Returns the exception that was raised if an error occurred while attempting to load the class. Otherwise, returns null.
API Note: This method predates the general-purpose exception chaining facility. The Throwable.getCause() method is now the preferred means of obtaining this information.
Returns:the Exception that was raised while loading a class
Since:1.2
/** * Returns the exception that was raised if an error occurred while * attempting to load the class. Otherwise, returns {@code null}. * * @apiNote * This method predates the general-purpose exception chaining facility. * The {@link Throwable#getCause()} method is now the preferred means of * obtaining this information. * * @return the {@code Exception} that was raised while loading a class * @since 1.2 */
public Throwable getException() { return super.getCause(); }
Serializable fields for ClassNotFoundException.
@serialFieldex Throwable the Throwable
/** * Serializable fields for ClassNotFoundException. * * @serialField ex Throwable the {@code Throwable} */
@java.io.Serial private static final ObjectStreamField[] serialPersistentFields = { new ObjectStreamField("ex", Throwable.class) };
Reconstitutes the ClassNotFoundException instance from a stream and initialize the cause properly when deserializing from an older version. The getException and getCause method returns the private "ex" field in the older implementation and ClassNotFoundException::cause was set to null.
Params:
  • s – the ObjectInputStream from which data is read
Throws:
/** * Reconstitutes the ClassNotFoundException instance from a stream * and initialize the cause properly when deserializing from an older * version. * * The getException and getCause method returns the private "ex" field * in the older implementation and ClassNotFoundException::cause * was set to null. * * @param s the {@code ObjectInputStream} from which data is read * @throws IOException if an I/O error occurs * @throws ClassNotFoundException if a serialized class cannot be loaded */
@java.io.Serial private void readObject(ObjectInputStream s) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException { ObjectInputStream.GetField fields = s.readFields(); Throwable exception = (Throwable) fields.get("ex", null); if (exception != null) { setCause(exception); } }
To maintain compatibility with older implementation, write a serial "ex" field with the cause as the value.
Params:
  • out – the ObjectOutputStream to which data is written
Throws:
/** * To maintain compatibility with older implementation, write a serial * "ex" field with the cause as the value. * * @param out the {@code ObjectOutputStream} to which data is written * @throws IOException if an I/O error occurs */
@java.io.Serial private void writeObject(ObjectOutputStream out) throws IOException { ObjectOutputStream.PutField fields = out.putFields(); fields.put("ex", super.getCause()); out.writeFields(); } }