What is a .class file extension?
A .class file extension is a file type used for storing machine-readable files called bytecode, which is a compiled version of the java source code file. This class file will have the .class file extension once the source code is compiled by the java compiler.
What is .class file extension used for?
JAVA is one of the most popular programming languages designed by SUN Microsystems. It is the core module of the SUN?s programming platform. Most of the syntax for Java is derived from the C and C++ languages and it provides minimal support for low level programming. Java converts the compiled code into bytecode, which is machine independent so this can be compiled on any computer architecture.
This bytecode format information is stored in the .class file extension on the system. The byte code is then processed by the Java virtual machine (JVM) and the desired output is displayed on the screen. JAVA is so flexible that the .class file extension can be created on one system and run on another system with a complete different architecture.
The .class file extension contains all the parts of the code stored in separate sections. Classes, interfaces, methods in a program are stored in a set format in the .class file. The .class file is used by JAVA to create objects and describe their behaviors. Just like the .class files can be run on any given computer platform, it can also be converted back to the original source code. This is the main reason why JAVA is still one of the most popular programming languages.
The .class file extension is also used by a program called Gambas. Gambas is an object oriented language which is based completely on Java. It is an open source software registered under the GNU license. As Gambas is based on JAVA, even the Gambas compiled code is stored in the .class file extension format. So this extension can also be associated with any module of Gambas.
What are the different kinds of software used to open the .class file extension?
You can open the .class file extension using any text editors. You will not be able to read the contents of the file as it will appear gibberish. This is because the content of the file is a compiled Java program stored in bytecode.
How can I open a corrupted .class file extension and how do I repair it?
If the .class file extension is corrupt then you can follow the steps below.
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- Try to recompile the code again which will recreate the .class file.
- FileCure software can be used to open any damaged .class file extension. This software not only fixes the file, but also opens it without any problems.