problem with the path with Class.forname() method

[mickey0]

Hello,
I wrote this and it doens't find the proper path:

String userDir = System.getProperty("user.dir");
Class c = Class.forName(userDir + "\\" + "Page");
either:
Class c = Class.forName("Page");

Page.class is located in the same dir returned by "System.getProperty("user.dir");"
The tree of directory is:

Myproject\Page.class
Myproject\bin\.....
Myproject\src\.....
etc. etc.

I tried (using "Class c = Class.forName("Page");" ) to move Page.class in the \bin directory using of my project and it works! So I guess is a path problem!
But what's the problem?
thanks

[v.z.afzal@dundee.ac.uk]

run
Class c = Class.forName(userDir.replace("\\", ".") + "." + "Page");

if this doesn't work, user dir may have something funny at the start of the string (i.e. c:\\), if it does just strip it out.

[mickey0]

run
Class c = Class.forName(userDir.replace("\\", ".") + "." + "Page");

if this doesn't work, user dir may have something funny at the start of the string (i.e. c:\\), if it does just strip it out.

No it doens't work. I don't understand your suggestion by the way. No funny characters in userDir BTW.....

[dlorde]

The class loader looks for classes on the classpath. If your class isn't in a package (doesn't have a 'package' declaration at the top), then you only need to pass the class name to the Class.forName method. If class Page is in the user directory (why?), then you need to put the user directory into the classpath so the loader can find it.

See Setting The Classpath.

The unavoidable price of reliability is simplicity...
C.A.R. Hoare

[mickey0]

The class loader looks for classes on the classpath. If your class isn't in a package (doesn't have a 'package' declaration at the top), then you only need to pass the class name to the Class.forName method. If class Page is in the user directory (why?), then you need to put the user directory into the classpath so the loader can find it.

See Setting The Classpath.

The unavoidable price of reliability is simplicity...
C.A.R. Hoare

THe .class is in the user path because I've compiled it by JavaCompiler compiler = ToolProvider.getSystemJavaCompiler(); and I put it there (my choice). It doens't belong to any package. In fact , as said, if I put it inside \bin directory no problems at all! I've added userDir sa said but don't work. Isn't strange?

[dlorde]

THe .class is in the user path because I've compiled it by JavaCompiler compiler = ToolProvider.getSystemJavaCompiler(); and I put it there (my choice). It doens't belong to any package.

It doesn't matter how you compiled it. If it doesn't belong to a package, you pass only the class name to the classForName method.

In fact , as said, if I put it inside \bin directory no problems at all! I've added userDir sa said but don't work. Isn't strange?

If if works in one directory but not in another, then one directory is on the classpath and the other isn't.

The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out!
D. Hock