getting an API to work right

[John Martinson]

I'm working on a Java application that opens an .xls file reads the data and updates a database accordingly. To open the spreadsheet I'm using the POI API.

I have developped my application using Eclipse 3.0 and everything works properly in that environment. But once I make my executable jar I get NoClassDefFound errors when I try to open the .xls file. I have included the POI jar in my class path and when I leave it out my app errors out sooner than when I leave it in.

my command line looks like this: java -cp poi.jar; -jar myjar.jar

and the error looks like so

java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: org/apache/poi/hssf/eventusermodel/HSSFListener
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass0(Native Method)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(Unknown Source)
at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(Unknown Source)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.defineClass(Unknown Source)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.access$100(Unknown Source)
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)

Thanks in advance for you help

John Martinson

[Kj Reddy]

I feel something wrong with class path, so its not finding the class.

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

When you use the -jar switch, the classpath (and the -cp switch) is ignored. Instead put the jar file on your classpath with -cp along with the POI jar, and start the program by naming the main class.

[John Martinson]

That's the first good suggestion I've had on this problem yet.

I try java -classpath \lib\poi.jar;\myjar.jar testfram and no luck. I'm not sure about my syntax. I'ved tried lots of variations.

Thanks in advance.

John

[John Martinson]

this is how it works, because I know people will search these later for an answer, I know I do

okay you make your jar file and then you go to the cammand line

and you type like so
java -cp c:\java\myjar.jar;c:\java\externaljar.jar; packagename/MainClass

I hope this will help someone in the future, because I had a doosy of a time figuring it out and no postings seemed to help until Ernest here posted his reply, thanks Ernest!

John (The one man programming show) Martinson

[Joe Ess]

Just in case someone stumbles upon this in the future, John made a typo in his command. The package and class name should be seperated by a period, not a backslash.

java -cp c:\java\myjar.jar;c:\java\externaljar.jar; packagename.MainClass

The java command and the classpath are discussed in depth in the JDK Tools Documentation.