Simple comparison of Path and ClassPath in java

Path and ClassPath are the two most important environment variables of the Java environment and are used to find JDK binaries used to compile and run Java in Windows and Linux and class files compiled to Java bytecode. So what's the difference between them? The following article will briefly compare Path and ClassPath, and introduce the differences between the two. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.

What is Path in java?

After installing Java on your computer, you need to set the PATH environment variable to conveniently run executable files (javac.exe, java.exe, javadoc.exe, etc.) from any directory, and No need to type the full path command. [Video tutorial recommendation: Java Tutorial]

For example:

C：\ javac TestClass.java

Otherwise, you need to specify the full path every time you run, for example:

C：\ Java \ jdk1.7.0 \ bin \ javac TestClass.java

What is ClassPath in java?

#Classpath is a system environment variable used by the Java compiler and Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

The Java compiler and JVM use Classpath to determine the location of required class files. It tells Java applications and JVM where to find class libraries.

C：\ Program Files \ Java \ jdk1.6.0 \ bin

What is the difference between Path and ClassPath?

1. The path variable is used to set the path of all Java software tools and locate JDK binary files, such as javac.exe, java.exe, javadoc.exe, etc. The classpath variable is used to set the path to the java class and is used to locate and load the compiled Java bytecode stored in the .class file.

2. In order to set PATH in Java, you need to include the JDK_HOME/bin directory in the PATH environment variable. In order to set CLASSPATH in Java, all directories need to be included in the .class file or JAR file required by the Java application.

3. PATH cannot be rewritten by any Java; but it can be provided by providing the command line option -classpath or -cp to the "java" and "javac" commands, or by using Class in the manifest file of the jar file. -Path attribute to override CLASSPATH.

4. The operating system uses the PATH environment variable to find any binary files or commands typed in the shell. This applies to Windows and Linux environments. And CLASSPATH only loads class files by the Java class loader.

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