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I'm looking for a well-maintained Java bytecode manipulation library with an intuitive API. There seem to be quite a lot of them out there. Any suggestions on which ones to try?
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It can be used to modify existing classes or to dynamically generate classes, directly in binary form. ASM provides some common bytecode transformations and analysis algorithms from which custom complex transformations and code analysis tools can be built.
The ASM library is a project of the OW2 consortium. It provides a simple API for decomposing, modifying, and recomposing binary Java classes (i.e. bytecode). The project was originally conceived and developed by Eric Bruneton.
Bytecode manipulation consists in modifying the classes - represented by bytecode - compiled by the Java compiler, at runtime. It is used extensively for instance by frameworks such as Spring (IoC) and Hibernate (ORM) to inject dynamic behaviour to Java objects at runtime.
ASM simply stands for ASMifier tool.
The best answer to your question will be governed by your specific needs and objectives; if you can expand upon what you're trying to accomplish, I can perhaps offer a more tailored response.
In lieu of that, however, in my experience, ASM offers probably the best combination of maturity, flexibility, and ease-of-use:
N.B. The comment @Yuri left below describes a situation I personally haven't yet encountered but that may potentially pose a significant obstacle. Keep his observation/experience in mind while evaluating the various bytecode manipulation libraries.
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