Setting variables in QShell RE: Frustration!!

If you are planning to do Java coding on the iSeries, it's probably
worthwhile to know a little about QShell.  There are a lot of things you
can do to make development easier in QShell, but many of these items don't
really affect the environment outside of QShell on the iSeries.

QShell is a little like a unix shell, so if you want to set variables that
last longer than the context of one command, you have to use the export
command.  So, if you want to set the class path, you would type:  export
CLASSPATH=/some/directory:/some/file.jar (filling in the proper paths or
JAR files you need).  Also, you can put a file into your home directory (in
IFS it is /home/<userprofile>, but you may have to create it) called
".profile" which is a script that gets run when you log into QShell.   In
this file, you can put the export statement, and it will get run every time
you start a QShell session.  This is only good for QShell, however, so
don't rely on it for anything other than development.  When running in
production, however, we usually just set the classpath on the command line
using the CLASSPATH parameter of the JAVA command.

Another recommendation, especially if you are coding a project of any size
on the iSeries using QShell is Ant.  Ant is a scripting language a little
bit like Make for unix and other OSs that lets you write small scripts that
handle compiling, setting Class Paths, and running java without having to
type in the Class Path every time.  However, Ant is a bit more advanced.

The Develop/Test/Debug cycle is much easier to do on a PC however.  You can
do most of the work there, and then do you integration testing on the
iSeries.  I think you even get a license of WSAD for iSeries for free.

Wow...that rambled around quite a bit!  Sometimes there are just too many
options, huh?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris DeLashmutt
Senior R&D Analyst
LeasePlan USA
1165 Sanctuary Pkwy., Alpharetta, GA  30004
Phone: 678-202-8695
Fax: 678-566-8551
----------------------------------------------------------------------



                                                                                
                                                      
                      "Joe Pluta"                                               
                                                      
                      <joepluta@plutabrot        To:       "'Java Programming 
on and around the iSeries / AS400'"                     
                      hers.com>                   <java400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>      
                                                      
                      Sent by:                   cc:                            
                                                      
                      java400-l-bounces@m        Subject:  RE: Frustration!!    
                                                      
                      idrange.com                                               
                                                      
                                                                                
                                                      
                                                                                
                                                      
                      09/23/2003 03:21 PM                                       
                                                      
                      Please respond to                                         
                                                      
                      Java Programming on                                       
                                                      
                      and around the                                            
                                                      
                      iSeries / AS400                                           
                                                      
                                                                                
                                                      
                                                                                
                                                      




> From: Steven Molinaro
>
> Thanks for the reply. I tried what you said. I did a cd /Java and then
> "set CLASSPATH=.", followed by java HelloWorld and I still got the
same
> errors. I apologize if I am missing an obvious step.

Ugh.  It's been a long time since I tried this on the host.  I rarely
run from QShell these days, partially because of issues like this.

After some playing around, I found that "set CLASSPATH" doesn't work
inside of QShell.  In fact, the set command with a parameter doesn't do
much of anything (without parms it shows the current list of environment
variables).

So, you have to set the CLASSPATH *before* you start QShell, by using
the WRKENVVAR command.  Now, I don't know why your initial value is
pointing to the jt400/lib folder, but as long as you don't care about
that, simply use WRKENVVAR to replace your CLASSPATH with "." (no
quotes).

Then you should be able to go into QShell, cd /Java, and then run your
HelloWorld program.  I just did it, and it works fine.

(The memory begins to clear a little.  This all sound vaguely familiar.)

Good luck!

Joe


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