Compiling Java from Command Line with Multiple Jars

This blog is largely just a set of stuff to help me remember how I fixed problems in the past when working on my thesis and other projects.  If it helps out anyone else along the way, then that's super chill!

First up, compiling a Java file from the command line on Windows with multiple jar files.

1. Change directory to wherever your java file is located using the cd command like so:

• >cd path\to\source\folder

2. Once you are in the source folder, use the following command to set the path.  This will allow your computer to find the Java commands in the next step.

• >set path=%path%; "path\to\java\bin"

On my computer, the specific command is:

• >set path=%path%; "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_45\bin"

3. With the path set, all that's left is to compile the file! To compile the file, we will use the javac command and set the -classpath parameter  to where our .jar files are (in this case, I have a folder of jar files).  In order to include all .jar files in the folder, the folder path will end in *.

• >javac -classpath "path\to\jar\folder\*" FileToCompile.java

An example run of this would be:

• >javac -classpath "C:\Users\owner\jars\*" HelloWorld.java

Hope this helps!