Difference between Loading a class using ClassLoader and Class.forName

Question

Below are 2 code snippets

The first one uses ClassLoader class to load a specified class

ClassLoader cls = ClassLoader.getSystemClassL

Answer 1

ClassLoader.loadClass() uses the specified classloader (the system classloader in your case), whereas Class.forName() uses classloader of the current class.

Class.forName() can be used when you don't care about particular classloader and want the same classloading behaviour as for statically referenced classes.