The javap command disassembles a class file. Its output depends on 
the options used. If no options are used, javap prints out the package, 
protected, and public fields and methods of the classes passed to it. 
javap prints its output to stdout. For example, compile the 
following class declaration:
   import java.awt.*;
   import java.applet.*;
   public class DocFooter extends Applet {
        String date;
        String email;
        public void init() {
                resize(500,100);
                date = getParameter("LAST_UPDATED");
                email = getParameter("EMAIL");
        }
        public void paint(Graphics g) {
                g.drawString(date + " by ",100, 15);
                g.drawString(email,290,15);
        }
   }
The output from javap DocFooter yields:
Compiled from DocFooter.java
public class DocFooter extends java.applet.Applet {
    java.lang.String date;
    java.lang.String email;
    public DocFooter();
    public void init();
    public void paint(java.awt.Graphics);
}
The output from javap -c DocFooter yields:
Compiled from DocFooter.java
public class DocFooter extends java.applet.Applet {
    java.lang.String date;
    java.lang.String email;
    public DocFooter();
    public void init();
    public void paint(java.awt.Graphics);
}
Method DocFooter()
   0 aload_0
   1 invokespecial #1 
   4 return
Method void init()
   0 aload_0
   1 sipush 500
   4 bipush 100
   6 invokevirtual #2 
   9 aload_0
  10 aload_0
  11 ldc #3 
  13 invokevirtual #4 
  16 putfield #5 
  19 aload_0
  20 aload_0
  21 ldc #6 
  23 invokevirtual #4 
  26 putfield #7 
  29 return
Method void paint(java.awt.Graphics)
   0 aload_1
   1 new #8 
   4 dup
   5 invokespecial #9 
   8 aload_0
   9 getfield #5 
  12 invokevirtual #10 
  15 ldc #11 
  17 invokevirtual #10 
  20 invokevirtual #12 
  23 bipush 100
  25 bipush 15
  27 invokevirtual #13 
  30 aload_1
  31 aload_0
  32 getfield #7 
  35 sipush 290
  38 bipush 15
  40 invokevirtual #13 
  43 return
OPTIONS
- -help
 - 
Prints out help message for javap.
 - -l
 - 
Prints out line and local variable tables.
 - -b
 - 
Ensures backward compatibility with javap in JDK 1.1.
 - -public
 - 
Shows only public classes and members.
 - -protected
 - 
Shows only protected and public classes and members.
 - -package
 - 
Shows only package, protected, and public classes and members.  This is the 
default.
 - -private
 - 
Shows all classes and members.
 - -Jflag
 - 
Pass flag directly to the runtime system. Some examples:
javap -J-version
javap -J-Djava.security.manager -J-Djava.security.policy=MyPolicy MyClassName
 - -s
 - 
Prints internal type signatures.
 - -c
 - 
Prints out disassembled code, i.e., the instructions that comprise the 
Java bytecodes, for each of the methods in the class.   These are documented
in the Java Virtual Machine
Specification.
 - -verbose
 - 
Prints stack size, number of 
locals and args for 
methods.
 - -classpath path
 - 
Specifies the path javap uses to look up classes. Overrides the default 
or the CLASSPATH environment variable if it is set. Directories are 
separated by 
semi-colons. Thus the general format for path is:
   .;<your_path>
For example:
   .;C:\usrs\dac\classes;C:\tools\java\classes
 - -bootclasspath path
 - 
Specifies path from which to load bootstrap classes.  By default, 
the bootstrap classes are the classes implementing the core Java 
platform located in jre\lib\rt.jar and jre\lib\i18n.jar.
 - -extdirs dirs
 - 
Overrides location at which installed extensions are searched for. 
The default location for extensions is jre\lib\ext.
 
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
- CLASSPATH
 - Used to provide the system a path to user-defined classes. Directories are
separated by semi-colons, for example,
For example:
   .;C:\usrs\dac\classes;C:\tools\java\classes
 
SEE ALSO
javac,
java,
jdb,
javah