Adaptive class loading

1. A method comprising:

interpreting a plurality of statements during a first invocation of an application;

determining a first plurality of classes that are requested to be loaded by the plurality of statements during the first invocation of the application and that meet a filter criteria specified by the user, wherein the filter criteria specifies a second plurality of classes that are to be included in the first plurality of classes, and wherein the filter criteria specifies a third plurality of classes that are to be excluded from the first plurality of classes;

determining a plurality of jar files that contain the first plurality of classes during the first invocation of the application;

counting a plurality of a number of references to the first plurality of respective classes by the plurality of statements during the first invocation of the application;

deciding whether the plurality of jar files are in a class path during the first invocation of the application;

determining whether each of the plurality of the number of the references to the first plurality of respective classes by the plurality of statements during the first invocation of the application is greater than a threshold;

determining whether the class path has changed between the first invocation and a subsequent invocation of the application; and

preloading the plurality of classes during the subsequent invocation of the application if the plurality of jar files were in the class path during the first invocation of the application, each of the plurality of the number of the references to the first plurality of respective classes by the plurality of statements during the first invocation of the application is greater than the threshold, and the class path has not changed between the first invocation and the subsequent invocation of the application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the class path has changed between the first invocation and the subsequent invocation of the application further comprises:

comparing a cyclic redundancy check of the class path from the first invocation and the subsequent invocation.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

refraining from preloading the first plurality of classes during the subsequent invocation of the application if the class path has changed between the first invocation and the subsequent invocation of the application.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the filter criteria further specifies a package that contains the second plurality of classes that are to be included in the first plurality of classes, and wherein the filter criteria further specifies a directory that contains the third plurality of classes that are to be excluded from the first plurality of classes.

5. A method for configuring a computer, comprising:

configuring the computer to interpret a plurality of statements during a first invocation of an application;

configuring the computer to determine a first plurality of classes that are requested to be loaded by the plurality of statements during the first invocation of the application and that meet a filter criteria specified by the user, wherein the filter criteria specifies a second plurality of classes that are to be included in the first plurality of classes, and wherein the filter criteria specifies a third plurality of classes that are to be excluded from the first plurality of classes;

configuring the computer to determine a plurality of jar files that contain the first plurality of classes during the first invocation of the application;

configuring the computer to count a plurality of a number of references to the first plurality of respective classes by the plurality of statements during the first invocation of the application;

configuring the computer to decide whether the plurality of jar files are in a class path during the first invocation of the application;

configuring the computer to determine whether each of the plurality of the number of the references to the first plurality of respective classes by the plurality of statements during the first invocation of the application is greater than a threshold;

configuring the computer to determine whether the class path has changed between the first invocation and a subsequent invocation of the application; and

configuring the computer to preload the plurality of classes during the subsequent invocation of the application if the plurality of jar files were in the class path during the first invocation of the application, each of the plurality of the number of the references to the first plurality of respective classes by the plurality of statements during the first invocation of the application is greater than the threshold, and the class path has not changed between the first invocation and the subsequent invocation of the application.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the configuring the computer to determine whether the class path has changed between the first invocation and the subsequent invocation of the application further comprises:

configuring the computer to compare a cyclic redundancy check of the class path from the first invocation and the subsequent invocation.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

configuring the computer to refrain from, preloading the first plurality of classes during the subsequent invocation of the application if the class path has changed between the first invocation and the subsequent invocation of the application.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the filter criteria further specifies a package that contains the second plurality of classes that are to be included in the first plurality of classes, and wherein the filter criteria further specifies a directory that contains the third plurality of classes that are to be excluded from the first plurality of classes.