How do I compile a java file that has jar dependencies?

Question

I have a helper lib that I wrote to sit on top of Apache Commons, and when I try to javac it (so that I can make it into a jar) it complains, quite reasonably, that it has no idea what I'm talking about when I make reference to the stuff that's in the commons.jar.

How does one include a jar so as that javac can compile?

Solution

For windows:

javac -cp ".;/dir/commons.jar;/dir/more_jar_files.jar" MyClass.java

For unix or mac (thanks for the tip Dawood):

javac -cp ".:/dir/commons.jar:/dir/more_jar_files.jar" MyClass.java

Which means:

javac -cp <path to jar> MyClass.java

Comments

[Dawood]

This, or if you're on Unix then use a colon : instead of the semicolon ;

[Dawood]

Yep, for Mac you'll use : too

[Yevgeny Simkin]

So... other than making the class (now done) and packing it into a jar (also done) and including the jar in my project (ditto), is there anything else I need to do? Cause my helper class isn't showing up in eclipse's intellisense and the project won't compile, so clearly it's not finding the class I'm JARing.

[zengr]

Didn't get you, what are you exactly trying to do?

[Yevgeny Simkin]

I'm trying to include my jar in the project, via Java Build Path. So, I'm making the jar out of my class (which contains my helper lib) but then when I go to actually use it in my project (ie. new MyServerCall(); ), it's not recognized.

[zengr]

In your last comment, how did you pack the class: MyClass.class in your new jar? To create a jar file you need a command like this: jar cf jar-file input-file(s)

[Yevgeny Simkin]

yep... that's exactly what I'm doing... I'm not including the other jars (that my .java depends on)... just the .class that it produced by the javac that we covered earlier.