PATH variable

Usually you create a subdirectory to hold the various program files for a new project. You would like to run the compiler while working in that directory. The Windows operating system uses an environment variable called PATH that is a list of all the subdirectories in which it is to look to find programs.

In a DOS window, type "path" after the prompt:

C:\j2sdk1.4.2\bin>path
PATH=C:\WINNT\system32;C:\WINNT;.;C:\j2sdk1.4.2\bin

Exactly what you see depends on your OS and what you have done with it. If you don't see C:\j2sdk1.4.2\bin (or similar) in your PATH you will have to edit your PATH variable. How you do this depends on your operating system. Look for detailed instructions on the Sun Web site.

If you can't figure out how to set the PATH variable, then you can put all your programs in C:\j2sdk1.4.2\bin and compile and run them there. This is crude, but it works.