Using the Java Development Kit - Java 6 - page 606

The only commands you need to look for are any that begin with PATH .

The PATH command is followed by a space and a series of folder names separated by
semicolons. It sets up the PATH variable, a list of folders that contain command-line pro-
grams you use.

PATH is used to help MS-DOS find programs when you run them at a command line. In
the preceding example, the PATH command in Figure A.6 includes two folders:

n

C:\PROGRA~1\MSBOB

n

C:\jdk1.6.0\bin

You can see what PATH has been set to by typing the following command at a command
line:

PATH

To set up the kit correctly, the folder that contains the Java interpreter must be included
in the PATH command in AUTOEXEC.BAT .

The interpreter has the filename java.exe . If you installed JDK 1.6 in the C:\Program
Files\Java\jdk1.6.0 folder on your system, java.exe is in C:\Program
Files\Java\jdk1.6.0\bin .

If you can't remember where you installed the kit, you can look for java.exe : Choose
Start, Find, Files or Folders. You might find several copies in different folders. To see
which one is correct, open a command-line window and do the following for each copy
you have found:

1. Use the CD command to open a folder that contains java.exe .
2. Run the command java -version in that folder.

When you know the correct folder, create a blank line at the bottom of the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file and add the following:

PATH rightfoldername;%PATH%

For example, if c:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0\bin is the correct folder, the follow-
ing line should be added at the bottom of AUTOEXEC.BAT :

PATH c:\”Program Files”\Java\jdk1.6.0\bin;%PATH%

The %PATH% text keeps you from wiping out any other PATH commands in AUTOEXEC.BAT .
In this command, quotation marks have been added around the folder name Program
Files . Some versions of Windows require this to handle folder names that contain
spaces.