20.3

java.lang.Class

THE PACKAGE JAVA.LANG

in the array corresponds to the order of the interface names in the

implements

clause of the declaration of the class represented by this

Class

 object. For exam 

ple, given the class declaration:

class Shimmer implements FloorWax, DessertTopping { ... }

suppose the value of

s

 is an instance of

Shimmer

; the value of the expression:

s.getClass().getInterfaces()[0]

is the

Class

 object that represents interface

FloorWax

; and the value of:

s.getClass().getInterfaces()[1]

is the

Class

 object that represents interface

DessertTopping

.

If this

Class

 object represents an interface, the array contains objects repre 

senting all interfaces directly extended by the interface that is, the immediate

superinterfaces of the interface. The order of the interface objects in the array cor 

responds to the order of the interface names in the

extends

 clause of the declara 

tion of the interface represented by this

Class

 object.

20.3.6

public Object newInstance()

throws InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException

This method creates and returns a new instance of the class represented by this

Class

 object. This is done exactly as if by a class instance creation expression

( 15.8) with an empty argument list; for example, if

t

 is the

Class

 object that rep 

resents class

Thread

, then

t.newInstance()

 does exactly the same thing as

new

Thread()

. If evaluation of such a class instance creation expression would com 

plete abruptly, then the call to the

newInstance

 method will complete abruptly

for the same reason. See also  11.5.1.2 for more on

InstantiationException

.

20.3.7

public ClassLoader getClassLoader()

This method returns a reference to the class loader ( 20.14) that loaded this class.

If this class has no class loader, then

null

 is returned.

20.3.8

public static Class forName(String className)

throws ClassNotFoundException

Given the fully qualified name of a class, this method attempts to locate, load, and

link the class ( 12.2). If it succeeds, then a reference to the

Class

 object for the

class is returned. If it fails, then a

ClassNotFoundException

 is thrown.

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