Can java class file not work without setting classpath ?

[nirjari patel]

I have a java source file in a path, when I compile this source file by typing path to this file and also path to javacon cmd prompt , it compile and classfile is generated in same location where source file is.
Now when I am trying to execute classfile by typing path to class file and also path to java exe file on cmd prompt , I am getting main not found error as below

C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java>"C:\Program Files\java\jdk1.5.0_22\bin\javac" "C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java\TestPath.java"

C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java>"C:\Program Files\java\jdk1.5.0_22\jre\bin\java" "C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java\TestPath"
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java\TestPath

DO I have to have classpath setup for class file to be execured ? Can a classfile not run by typing path on cmd prompt ? If so, why ?

[Paul Clapham]

Sure you can type the classpath for the class as part of the cmd prompt. The syntax is like this:

java -cp classpath class

Have a look at this tutorial for a better description than what I could provide. Notice also that setting the PATH environment variable allows you to just type "java" instead of "C:\Program Files\java\jdk1.5.0_22\jre\bin\java" as you did, so read that part of the tutorial carefully as well.

(And why are you using Java 5? It has been obsolete and unsupported for years. Unless you have some reason for using Java 5 -- like somebody else is making you do that -- you should be using Java 7 now.)

[nirjari patel]

Thanks. But I am still getting error when its executed as follows

C:\Users\um2t\Desktop>"C:\Program Files\java\jdk1.5.0_22\jre\bin\java" -cp classpath "C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java\TestPath"
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java\TestPath

C:\Users\um2t\Desktop>"C:\Program Files\java\jdk1.5.0_22\jre\bin\java" -cp "C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java\TestPath"
Usage: java [-options] class [args...]
(to execute a class)
or java [-options] -jar jarfile [args...]
(to execute a jar file)

where options include:
-client to select the "client" VM
-server to select the "server" VM
-hotspot is a synonym for the "client" VM [deprecated]
The default VM is client.

-cp <class search path of directories and zip/jar files>
-classpath <class search path of directories and zip/jar files>
A ; separated list of directories, JAR archives,
and ZIP archives to search for class files.
-D<name>=<value>
set a system property
-verbose[:class|gc|jni]
enable verbose output
-version print product version and exit
-version:<value>
require the specified version to run
-showversion print product version and continue
-jre-restrict-search | -jre-no-restrict-search
include/exclude user private JREs in the version search
-? -help print this help message
-X print help on non-standard options
-ea[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
-enableassertions[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
enable assertions
-da[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
-disableassertions[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
disable assertions
-esa | -enablesystemassertions
enable system assertions
-dsa | -disablesystemassertions
disable system assertions
-agentlib:<libname>[=<options>]
load native agent library <libname>, e.g. -agentlib:hprof
see also, -agentlib:jdwp=help and -agentlib:hprof=help
-agentpath:<pathname>[=<options>]
load native agent library by full pathname
-javaagent:<jarpath>[=<options>]
load Java programming language agent, see java.lang.instrument

[Henry Wong]

nirjari patel wrote:Thanks. But I am still getting error when its executed as follows

C:\Users\um2t\Desktop>"C:\Program Files\java\jdk1.5.0_22\jre\bin\java" -cp classpath "C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java\TestPath"
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java\TestPath

Well, in your example, you declared a classpath as "classpath". Do you have your classes in a directory named "classpath"?

Henry

[nirjari patel]

I got it. Thanks, its working now

[Henry Wong]

nirjari patel wrote:When I execute as follows, I still get same error

C:\Users\um2t\Desktop>"C:\Program Files\java\jdk1.5.0_22\jre\bin\java" -cp "C:\Users\um2t\Desktop\Java\" TestPath
Usage: java [-options] class [args...]
(to execute a class)
or java [-options] -jar jarfile [args...]
(to execute a jar file)

That is a usage error -- which is completely different from a class not found error. You get this message when the JVM has no idea what you are trying to say, and is giving you a usage message with the correct parameters.

Are you sure you are cut and pasting what you are typing? You shouldn't be getting that message based on what you showed.

Henry

[nirjari patel]

I got it. Thanks, its working now