Exception handling in java computing environments

A Java computing environment, said Java computing environment comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a Java virtual machine running on said at least one processor, wherein said virtual machine can execute code which includes Java and native computer program code wherein said native computer program code is associated with a native programming language;
• a Java execution stack which does not include any native method frames associated with said native programming language, wherein said native programming language is a programming language other than the Java programming language;
• a native execution stack which can be used to execute said native computer program code;
• a plurality of Java method frames stored on said Java execution stack, wherein each of said plurality of Java method frames includes a method descriptor, said method descriptor providing one or more references to information associated with a Java method, and wherein at least one reference of said one or more references of said method descriptor is a direct reference to an exception handler which can handle an exception raised by said native programming code or Java programming code, thereby allowing said exception handler to be identified, by said virtual machine to handle said exception, by directly accessing said direct reference without searching said native execution stack or examining said Java method frames stored on said Java execution stack in order to locate said exception handler.