java bytecode - no ipush instruction

Question

As part of one of my school project I need to dig into java bytecode. I started to write simple programs and use javap utility to view generated bytecode and I have one question concerning *ipush instructions.

When I view bytecode of this code:

public class Main{
  public static void main(String []args){
    int a;
    a=5;
    a=a+32765;
  }
}

I am getting

public class Main
  SourceFile: "Main.java"
  minor version: 0
  major version: 51
  flags: ACC_PUBLIC, ACC_SUPER
Constant pool:
  #1 = Methodref          #3.#12         //  java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
  #2 = Class              #13            //  Main
  #3 = Class              #14            //  java/lang/Object
  #4 = Utf8               <init>
  #5 = Utf8               ()V
  #6 = Utf8               Code
  #7 = Utf8               LineNumberTable
  #8 = Utf8               main
  #9 = Utf8               ([Ljava/lang/String;)V
  #10 = Utf8               SourceFile
  #11 = Utf8               Main.java
  #12 = NameAndType        #4:#5          //  "<init>":()V
  #13 = Utf8               Main
  #14 = Utf8               java/lang/Object
{
  public Main();
flags: ACC_PUBLIC
Code:
  stack=1, locals=1, args_size=1
    0: aload_0       
    1: invokespecial #1                  // Method java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
    4: return        
  LineNumberTable:
    line 1: 0

  public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
flags: ACC_PUBLIC, ACC_STATIC
Code:
  stack=2, locals=2, args_size=1
    0: iconst_5      
    1: istore_1      
    2: iload_1       
    3: sipush        32765
    6: iadd          
    7: istore_1      
    8: return        
  LineNumberTable:
    line 4: 0
    line 5: 2
    line 6: 8
}

and when I swap 32765 for 32769 which is not in the range of short I am getting

public class Main
  SourceFile: "Main.java"
  minor version: 0
  major version: 51
  flags: ACC_PUBLIC, ACC_SUPER
Constant pool:
  #1 = Methodref          #4.#13         //  java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
  #2 = Integer            32769
  #3 = Class              #14            //  Main
  #4 = Class              #15            //  java/lang/Object
  #5 = Utf8               <init>
  #6 = Utf8               ()V
  #7 = Utf8               Code
  #8 = Utf8               LineNumberTable
  #9 = Utf8               main
  #10 = Utf8               ([Ljava/lang/String;)V
  #11 = Utf8               SourceFile
  #12 = Utf8               Main.java
  #13 = NameAndType        #5:#6          //  "<init>":()V
  #14 = Utf8               Main
  #15 = Utf8               java/lang/Object
{
  public Main();
flags: ACC_PUBLIC
Code:
  stack=1, locals=1, args_size=1
    0: aload_0       
    1: invokespecial #1                  // Method java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
    4: return        
  LineNumberTable:
    line 1: 0

  public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
flags: ACC_PUBLIC, ACC_STATIC
Code:
  stack=2, locals=2, args_size=1
    0: iconst_5      
    1: istore_1      
    2: iload_1       
    3: ldc           #2                  // int 32769
    5: iadd          
    6: istore_1      
    7: return        
  LineNumberTable:
    line 4: 0
    line 5: 2
    line 6: 7
}

so now the number is stored in constant pool. I know that there is not instruction ipush which I could use to push integer constant to stack, but I am wondering why there is no such instruction?

Answer 1

Based on simple CISC design, they tried to make each instruction as short as possible (in bytes) Instructions which use 32-bit or 64-bit constants are easier/shorter to refer to a constant table.