Jv_FindClass throws a ClassNotFoundException in case the requested class cannot be resolved (regardless of whether the bytecode missing or a further dependency cannot be resolved).

This causes problems because in case of serious bytecode errors (eg. the class of a field is missing) where a NoClassDefFoundError should reach the user code.

I found code in several places in gcj where the caller of Jv_FindClass expected NULL to be returned. This affects Jv_FindClassFromSignature too because it depends on the former function.

Obviously such code will not be executed (unless the Jv_FindClass takes a special codepath where it call Jv_FindClassInCache).

- link.cc: around line 1000, look for:
if (target_class == NULL)
	throw new java::lang::NoClassDefFoundError 
	  (_Jv_NewStringUTF (sym.class_name->chars()));

- verify.cc: around 387, look for
	  data.klass = _Jv_FindClassFromSignature (data.name->chars(), loader);
	  if (data.klass == NULL)
	    throw new java::lang::NoClassDefFoundError(data.name->toString());

I want to hear what the experts have to say about that. My suggestion would be to introduce a special variant of Jv_FindClass which does not throw a ClassNotFoundException (by swallowing it) and then carefully adjusting the code location where the old variant was used.