Microsoft KB Archive/177168

= INFO: How Does the Virtual Machine Search for Java Classes? =

Article ID: 177168

Article Last Modified on 11/14/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 128-Bit Edition
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 128-Bit Edition
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 128-Bit Edition
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 128-Bit Edition
 * Microsoft Java Virtual Machine
 * Microsoft Software Development Kit for Java 2.02
 * Microsoft Software Development Kit for Java 2.01
 * Microsoft Software Development Kit for Java 2.02
 * Microsoft Software Development Kit for Java 3.0
 * Microsoft Software Development Kit for Java 3.1

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This article was previously published under Q177168



SUMMARY
This article talks about how the Microsoft virtual machine (Microsoft VM) searches for a class on the local machine and Web site.



MORE INFORMATION
When a class is requested, the Microsoft VM normally searches for it in the following order:
 * 1) Check all explicitly specified locations (typically supplied with the jview /cp command-line option, not applicable for applets).
 * 2) Check the locations specified in the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Java VM\DevClasspath registry entry.

NOTE: this registry entry is provided for development and testing, and may not be supported in a future release. Microsoft does not recommend relying on it for production purposes.
 * 1) Search packages in the Java Package Manager (JPM) marked as system (see notes below) packages.
 * 2) Check the locations specified in the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Java VM\TrustedClasspath registry entry.
 * 3) Check the directory specified by the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Java VM\TrustedLibsDirectory registry entry.
 * 4) Check the locations specified in the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Java VM\Classpath registry entry.
 * 5) Check the directory specified by the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Java VM\LibsDirectory registry entry.
 * 6) Check the locations specified in the CLASSPATH environment variable.
 * 7) Search packages in the JPM marked as non-system (see notes below) packages. Searching first for non-system classes in the specified namespace, then searching for non-system classes in no namespace (global namespace).
 * 8) If served from a Web page, the Microsoft VM additionally searches the following locations:


 * 1) * Any cabinet files referenced by the Cabinets applet parameter (in the order in which they appear in the HTML). If there is a Cabinets applet parameter, the Cabbase parameter and the Archive attribute (below) will not be searched.
 * 2) * The cabinet file referenced by the Cabbase applet parameter. If there is a Cabbase applet parameter, the Archive attribute (below) will not be searched.
 * 3) * Any zip or jar file referenced by the 'archive' attribute of the applet tag.
 * 4) Search the code base of the HTML.