This page contains an archived post to the Java Answers Forum made prior to February 25, 2002. If you wish to participate in discussions, please visit the new Artima Forums.

Message:

My understanding

Posted by Kishori Sharan on January 23, 2001 at 10:54 AM

To my understanding, Java Virtual machine Specification is just a standard set by Sun to create a real JVM. It is just a guide line to create a real JVM. It specifies that JVM should start its execution from a main method of a class which should be public, static and accepts an array of String as an argument. So, if you stick to this rule of declaring your main method and runtime JVM denies the service then you can say it is not following the Java Virtual Machine specification. So, no JVM from any vendor should give error when you define your main method as pubilc and static. However, if a JVM from some vendors works same with some relaxation ( in this case with private or no modifier )then there is no problem.