JDK-6868539 : javap should use current names for constant pool tags
  • Type: Bug
  • Component: tools
  • Sub-Component: javap
  • Affected Version: 7
  • Priority: P4
  • Status: Closed
  • Resolution: Fixed
  • OS: generic
  • CPU: generic
  • Submitted: 2009-08-05
  • Updated: 2012-01-13
  • Resolved: 2012-01-13
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JDK 7
7 b70Fixed
Description
javap currently uses the somewhat obscure and inappropriate name "Asciz" to identify Utf8 entries in the constant pool, and inconsistent names for the rest, sometimes java names, sometimes something close to the JVMS name, sometimes exactly the JVMS name.

This should be rationalized.
Comments
EVALUATION Recently, the provenance of Asciz has become clear. Constant pool entry type 1 used to be CONSTANT_Asciz (or CONSTANT_Asciiz, depending where you read) and Constant pool entry type 2 used to be CONSTANT_Unicode. Both names date from around 1995 and JDK 1.0. By the time of JVMS 1st edition, constant pool entry types 1 and 2 had been combined into CONSTANT_Utf8, value 1, with 2 being unused. The suggested name for all tag entries is the JVMS name, without the leading CONSTANT_
05-08-2009