SymbolLookup (Java SE 25 & JDK 25)
Description: declaration: module: java.base, package: java.lang.foreign, interface: SymbolLookup
Keywords: java.lang.foreign.SymbolLookup interface

# Interface SymbolLookup

Functional Interface:
  This is a functional interface and can therefore be used as the assignment target for a lambda expression or method reference.

@FunctionalInterface public interface SymbolLookup
A symbol lookup retrieves the address of a symbol in one or more libraries. A symbol is a named entity, such as a function or a global variable.

A symbol lookup is created with respect to a particular library (or libraries). Subsequently, the `find(String)` method takes the name of a symbol and returns the address of the symbol in that library.

The address of a symbol is modeled as a zero-length memory segment. The segment can be used in different ways:

- It can be passed to a `Linker` to create a downcall method handle, which can then be used to call the foreign function at the segment's address.
- It can be passed to an existing downcall method handleRESTRICTED, as an argument to the underlying foreign function.
- It can be stored inside another memory segment.
- It can be used to access the region of memory backing a global variable (this requires resizingRESTRICTED the segment first).

## Obtaining a symbol lookup

The factory methods `libraryLookup(String, Arena)`RESTRICTED and `libraryLookup(Path, Arena)`RESTRICTED create a symbol lookup for a library known to the operating system. The library is specified by either its name or a path. The library is loaded if not already loaded. The symbol lookup, which is known as a library lookup, and its lifetime is controlled by an arena. For instance, if the provided arena is a confined arena, the library associated with the symbol lookup is unloaded when the confined arena is closed:

     try (Arena arena = Arena.ofConfined()) {
         SymbolLookup libGL = SymbolLookup.libraryLookup("libGL.so", arena); // libGL.so loaded here
         MemorySegment glGetString = libGL.findOrThrow("glGetString");
         ...
     } //  libGL.so unloaded here

If a library was previously loaded through JNI, i.e., by `System.load(String)`RESTRICTED or `System.loadLibrary(String)`RESTRICTED, then the library was also associated with a particular class loader. The factory method `loaderLookup()` creates a symbol lookup for all the libraries associated with the caller's class loader:

    System.loadLibrary("GL"); // libGL.so loaded here
    ...
    SymbolLookup libGL = SymbolLookup.loaderLookup();
    MemorySegment glGetString = libGL.findOrThrow("glGetString");

This symbol lookup, which is known as a loader lookup, is dynamic with respect to the libraries associated with the class loader. If other libraries are subsequently loaded through JNI and associated with the class loader, then the loader lookup will expose their symbols automatically.

Note that a loader lookup only exposes symbols in libraries that were previously loaded through JNI, i.e., by `System.load(String)`RESTRICTED or `System.loadLibrary(String)`RESTRICTED. A loader lookup does not expose symbols in libraries that were loaded in the course of creating a library lookup:

     libraryLookup("libGL.so", arena).find("glGetString").isPresent(); // true
     loaderLookup().find("glGetString").isPresent(); // false

Note also that a library lookup for library `L` exposes symbols in `L` even if `L` was previously loaded through JNI (the association with a class loader is immaterial to the library lookup):

     System.loadLibrary("GL"); // libGL.so loaded here
     libraryLookup("libGL.so", arena).find("glGetString").isPresent(); // true

Finally, each `Linker` provides a symbol lookup for libraries that are commonly used on the OS and processor combination supported by that `Linker`. This symbol lookup, which is known as a default lookup, helps clients to quickly find addresses of well-known symbols. For example, a `Linker` for Linux/x64 might choose to expose symbols in `libc` through the default lookup:

     Linker nativeLinker = Linker.nativeLinker();
     SymbolLookup stdlib = nativeLinker.defaultLookup();
     MemorySegment malloc = stdlib.findOrThrow("malloc");

Since:
  22

- ## Method Summary

  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `Optional<MemorySegment>`
  `find(String name)`
  Returns the address of the symbol with the given name.
  `default MemorySegment`
  `findOrThrow(String name)`
  Returns the address of the symbol with the given name or throws an exception.
  `static SymbolLookup`
  `libraryLookup(String name, Arena arena)`
  Restricted.
  Loads a library with the given name (if not already loaded) and creates a symbol lookup for symbols in that library.
  `static SymbolLookup`
  `libraryLookup(Path path, Arena arena)`
  Restricted.
  Loads a library from the given path (if not already loaded) and creates a symbol lookup for symbols in that library.
  `static SymbolLookup`
  `loaderLookup()`
  Returns a symbol lookup for symbols in the libraries associated with the caller's class loader.
  `default SymbolLookup`
  `or(SymbolLookup other)`
  Returns a composed symbol lookup that returns the result of finding the symbol with this lookup if found, otherwise returns the result of finding the symbol with the other lookup.

- ## Method Details

  - ### find

    Optional<MemorySegment> find(String name)
    Returns the address of the symbol with the given name.
    Parameters:
      `name` - the symbol name
    Returns:
      a zero-length memory segment whose address indicates the address of the symbol, if found
    See Also:
      - `findOrThrow(String)`

  - ### findOrThrow

    default MemorySegment findOrThrow(String name)
    Returns the address of the symbol with the given name or throws an exception.

    This is equivalent to the following code, but is more efficient: to:

           String name = ...
           MemorySegment address = lookup.find(name)
               .orElseThrow(() -> new NoSuchElementException("Symbol not found: " + name));

    Parameters:
      `name` - the symbol name
    Returns:
      a zero-length memory segment whose address indicates the address of the symbol
    Throws:
      `NoSuchElementException` - if no symbol address can be found for the given name
    Since:
      23
    See Also:
      - `find(String)`

  - ### or

    default SymbolLookup or(SymbolLookup other)
    Returns a composed symbol lookup that returns the result of finding the symbol with this lookup if found, otherwise returns the result of finding the symbol with the other lookup.
    API Note:
      This method could be used to chain multiple symbol lookups together, e.g. so that symbols could be retrieved, in order, from multiple libraries:

           var lookup = SymbolLookup.libraryLookup("foo", arena)
                   .or(SymbolLookup.libraryLookup("bar", arena))
                   .or(SymbolLookup.loaderLookup());

      The above code creates a symbol lookup that first searches for symbols in the "foo" library. If no symbol is found in "foo" then "bar" is searched. Finally, if a symbol is neither found in "foo" nor in "bar", the loader lookup is used.
    Parameters:
      `other` - the symbol lookup that should be used to look for symbols not found in this lookup
    Returns:
      a composed symbol lookup that returns the result of finding the symbol with this lookup if found, otherwise returns the result of finding the symbol with the other lookup

  - ### loaderLookup

    static SymbolLookup loaderLookup()
    Returns a symbol lookup for symbols in the libraries associated with the caller's class loader.

    A library is associated with a class loader `CL` when the library is loaded via an invocation of `System.load(String)`RESTRICTED or `System.loadLibrary(String)`RESTRICTED from code in a class defined by `CL`. If that code makes further invocations of `System.load(String)`RESTRICTED or `System.loadLibrary(String)`RESTRICTED then more libraries are loaded and associated with `CL`. The symbol lookup returned by this method is always current: it reflects all the libraries associated with the relevant class loader, even if they were loaded after this method returned.

    Libraries associated with a class loader are unloaded when the class loader becomes unreachable. The symbol lookup returned by this method is associated with an automatic scope which keeps the caller's class loader reachable. Therefore, libraries associated with the caller's class loader are kept loaded (and their symbols available) as long as a loader lookup for that class loader, or any of the segments obtained by it, is reachable.

    In cases where this method is called from a context where there is no caller frame on the stack (e.g. when called directly from a JNI attached thread), the caller's class loader defaults to the system class loader.

    Returns:
      a symbol lookup for symbols in the libraries associated with the caller's class loader
    See Also:
      - `System.load(String)`RESTRICTED
      - `System.loadLibrary(String)`RESTRICTED

  - ### libraryLookup

    static SymbolLookup libraryLookup(String name, Arena arena)
    `libraryLookup` is a restricted method of the Java platform.
    Programs can only use `libraryLookup` when access to restricted methods is enabled.
    Restricted methods are unsafe, and, if used incorrectly, might crash the JVM or result in memory corruption.
    Loads a library with the given name (if not already loaded) and creates a symbol lookup for symbols in that library. The lifetime of the returned library lookup is controlled by the provided arena. For instance, if the provided arena is a confined arena, the library associated with the returned lookup will be unloaded when the provided confined arena is closed.
    Implementation Note:
      The process of resolving a library name is OS-specific. For instance, in a POSIX-compliant OS, the library name is resolved according to the specification of the `dlopen` function for that OS. In Windows, the library name is resolved according to the specification of the `LoadLibrary` function.
    Parameters:
      `name` - the name of the library in which symbols should be looked up
      `arena` - the arena associated with symbols obtained from the returned lookup
    Returns:
      a new symbol lookup suitable to find symbols in a library with the given name
    Throws:
      `IllegalStateException` - if `arena.scope().isAlive() == false`
      `WrongThreadException` - if `arena` is a confined arena, and this method is called from a thread `T`, other than the arena's owner thread
      `IllegalArgumentException` - if `name` does not identify a valid library
      `IllegalCallerException` - if the caller is in a module that does not have native access enabled

  - ### libraryLookup

    static SymbolLookup libraryLookup(Path path, Arena arena)
    `libraryLookup` is a restricted method of the Java platform.
    Programs can only use `libraryLookup` when access to restricted methods is enabled.
    Restricted methods are unsafe, and, if used incorrectly, might crash the JVM or result in memory corruption.
    Loads a library from the given path (if not already loaded) and creates a symbol lookup for symbols in that library. The lifetime of the returned library lookup is controlled by the provided arena. For instance, if the provided arena is a confined arena, the library associated with the returned lookup will be unloaded when the provided confined arena is closed.
    Implementation Note:
      On Linux, the functionalities provided by this factory method and the returned symbol lookup are implemented using the `dlopen`, `dlsym` and `dlclose` functions.
    Parameters:
      `path` - the path of the library in which symbols should be looked up
      `arena` - the arena associated with symbols obtained from the returned lookup
    Returns:
      a new symbol lookup suitable to find symbols in a library with the given path
    Throws:
      `IllegalStateException` - if `arena.scope().isAlive() == false`
      `WrongThreadException` - if `arena` is a confined arena, and this method is called from a thread `T`, other than the arena's owner thread
      `IllegalArgumentException` - if `path` does not point to a valid library in the default file system
      `IllegalCallerException` - if the caller is in a module that does not have native access enabled