Bytecode is an intermediate form of java programs. Bytecode consists of optimized set of instructions that are not specific to processor. We get bytecode after compiling the java program using a compiler called javac. The bytecode is to be executed by java runtime environment which is called as Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The programs that are running on JVM must be compiled into a binary format which is denoted by .class files. The JVM executes .class or .jar files, by either interpreting it or using a just-in-time compiler (JIT). The JIT is used for compiling and not for interpreting the file. It is used in most JVMs today to achieve greater speed. The bytecode verifier verifies all the bytecode before it is executed.
