Re: searching the path

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From	Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.java.help
Subject	Re: searching the path
Date	Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:18:25 -0800 (PST)
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On Wednesday, December 28, 2011 11:45:15 AM UTC-8, Roedy Green wrote:
> Java has library.class.path but not a path system variable.

That would be a "PATH" system variable, if you mean the path to search for executables.

Since PATH is system dependent and needed only to invoke executables, it makes sense that Java might not find it relevant, being a cross-platform programming language rather than a shell.

>  ISTR from DOS days you were not supposed to include [.] on the path.
> This was presumed, and it was searched first.

That won't carry over to most non-DOS/Windows systems.  Linux/UNIX, for example, won't search the CWD unless it's in the path.

> I would like to write a Java glossary entry to clarify this issue. Is
> there anything I should say, particularly about how non-Windows
> systems work?

Yes, that if you need to know the value of the PATH (not "path") envar you probably aren't really doing what Java does.  But that's a general truism of all system-specific activity.  Java might not be the best choice for such use cases.

<http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/path.mspx?mfr=true>
"... the PATH environment variable ..."

<http://www.linfo.org/path_env_var.html>
"PATH (which is written with all upper case letters) should not be confused with the term path (lower case letters)."

-- 
Lew

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Thread

searching the path Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-12-28 11:45 -0800
  Re: searching the path Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-12-28 14:18 -0800
    Re: searching the path Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-12-28 18:12 -0800
      Re: searching the path Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-12-28 21:18 -0800
        Re: searching the path Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-12-30 01:33 -0800
          Re: searching the path Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-12-30 09:14 -0800
            Re: searching the path Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-12-31 14:24 -0800
              Re: searching the path Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-12-31 15:19 -0800
      Re: searching the path "John B. Matthews" <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2011-12-29 05:33 -0500
        Re: searching the path Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-12-30 01:42 -0800
          Re: searching the path Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-12-30 06:51 -0400
          Re: searching the path "John B. Matthews" <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2011-12-30 06:05 -0500
          Re: searching the path Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-12-30 09:07 -0800
            Re: searching the path Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2012-01-04 16:46 -0800
    Re: searching the path Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2011-12-28 18:19 -0800
  Re: searching the path Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> - 2011-12-28 20:11 -0800

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