What steps are performed when launching a Java program and what happens during initialization?

The following main steps are performed when launching a Java program:

1. Loading the class with the main method — the JVM loads the class specified as the entry point.
2. Initializing the class — static blocks are executed, static variables are assigned values.
3. Calling the main(String[] args) method — the program execution begins.

During JVM initialization:

• Necessary classes and libraries are loaded.
• A call stack is created.
• Memory is allocated for objects in the heap.
• Static variables and blocks are initialized.

Example:

public class App {
    static {
        System.out.println("Static initialization block");
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Program started");
    }
}

When launched, the static block executes first, then the main method. This prepares the environment for executing the main logic of the program.