Normally all the classes we need to run a java program are packaged in the jar files.
These jars are added to the classpath by the JVM which loaded them as required. What if we want these jars to be added at runtime instead of startup?
This snippet shows how the load class at Runtime by adding the jar path into using
the Url Class Loader. Here the loading of mysql driver for jdbc is used as an example.
package com.livrona.snippets.system;
import java.net.MalformedURLException;
import java.net.URL;
import java.net.URLClassLoader;
/**
* This snippet shows how to create a custom class loader and add jars to the
* classpath at runtime.
*
* @author mvohra
*
*/
publicclass RuntimeJarFileLoader extends URLClassLoader {
public RuntimeJarFileLoader(URL[] urls) {
super(urls);
}
/**
* add the Jar file to the classpath
*
* @param path
* @throws MalformedURLException
*/
publicvoid addFile(String path) throws MalformedURLException {
// construct the jar url path
String urlPath ="jar:file:"+ path + "!/";
// invoke the base method
addURL(new URL(urlPath));
}
/**
* add the Jar file to the classpath
*
* @param path
* @throws MalformedURLException
*/
publicvoid addFile(String paths[]) throws MalformedURLException {
if (paths !=null)
for (int i =0; i < paths.length; i++)
addFile(paths[i]);
}
/**
* Main method
*
* @param args
*/
publicstaticvoid main(String args[]) {
String classToLoad ="com.mysql.jdbc.Driver";
try {
System.out.println("First attempt, try to load the class...");
// try to load the class, not yet in the classpath
Class.forName(classToLoad);
} catch (Exception ex) {
System.out.println("Failed to load : "+ ex.getMessage());
ex.printStackTrace();
}
try {
// initialize with empty path
URL urls[] = {};
// create instance
RuntimeJarFileLoader loader =new RuntimeJarFileLoader(urls);
// linux
// String jarPath = "/opt/app/lib/mysql-connector-java-5.0.5.jar";
// cygwin
// String jarPath =
// "/cygdrive/c/workspace/livrona/projects/prototype/lib/mysql-connector-java-5.0.5.jar";
// widows
String jarPath ="c:/workspace/livrona/projects/prototype/lib/mysql-connector-java-5.0.5.jar";
loader.addFile(jarPath);
System.out.println("Second attempt...");
// load the class
loader.loadClass(classToLoad);
System.out.println("Success");
} catch (Exception ex) {
System.out.println("Failed to load : "+ ex.getMessage());
ex.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
Output is show below :
First attempt, try to load the class...
Failed to load : com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(Unknown Source)
at sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader.loadClass(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClassInternal(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method)
at java.lang.Class.forName(Unknown Source)
at com.livrona.snippets.system.RuntimeJarFileLoader.main(RuntimeJarFileLoader.java:57)
Second attempt...
Success