What are Native methods in Java ?

There may be times when we want to call subroutines which are written in some other language other than Java like C++, VB6 etc.

In Java, native methods refer to methods that are implemented in a language other than Java, typically in languages like C or C++. These methods are declared with the native keyword in the Java code, indicating that their implementation will be provided by a platform-specific native library. Native methods are used when direct interaction with the underlying operating system or hardware is required, and they allow Java programs to incorporate functionality written in other languages.

The declaration of a native method in Java might look like this:

To use native methods, a Java program must leverage the Java Native Interface (JNI), which provides a framework for Java code to interact with applications and libraries written in other languages. The implementation of native methods is typically provided in a shared library, and the linking between Java code and native implementations is done dynamically at runtime.

It’s important to note that the use of native methods should be approached with caution, as it introduces platform dependencies and may undermine Java’s platform independence. Native methods are often employed for performance-critical tasks or when interfacing with existing native libraries.