- Derby: A Database for All Seasons
- What Is Derby?
- How to Use Derby
- Setting Up Your CLASSPATH
- Testing Your Setup
- Running Your First Derby Program
- Derby Application Components
- Derby Application Startup
- Loading the Derby Driver
- Database and Connection Creation
- Statement Creation
- Table Creation
- Table Access
- Shutdown
- Running the Code
Setting Up Your CLASSPATH
The file derby.jar must be on your CLASSPATH. The following command added it on my system (from within the "simple" folder described above):
set CLASSPATH=.;C:\java\db-derby-10.1.2.1-bin\lib\derby.jar;%CLASSPATH%
Notice that I added a period at the beginning of the command in order to pick up the compiled version of SimpleApp.java—SimpleApp.class. The only part of the above command that might differ on your system is the part left of the "lib" word.
Bitter experience has taught me that the simplest way to install Java software is to use only short paths. That is, don’t use paths that default to your Windows Program Files folder because you often then have to add quotes to the elements of the path to get them to work. This type of unproductive work always makes my head hurt, so I prefer to opt for simple path names with no embedded spaces as above.