Can't set classpath or classloader for JavaCompiler!

Question

I have a class that I load using my own class loader. I know the class is loaded because I can instantiate it using reflection.
Then, in my code I try to compile a source file which references (via import) the class I loaded, and I get a package does not exist error on the compile.
I have tried everything I could think of. Currently, I'm doing this (read the comments):
        StandardJavaFileManager fileManager = compiler.getStandardFileManager(null, null, null);
        // trying to force the filemanager to use my class loader when resolving class paths... doesn't ever get called
        // except when loading annotation processors, though!!!
        ForwardingJavaFileManager<JavaFileManager> ffm = new ForwardingJavaFileManager<JavaFileManager>(fileManager)
            @Override
            public ClassLoader getClassLoader(Location location)
                if (location == StandardLocation.CLASS_PATH)
                    return serviceClassLoader;
                return super.getClassLoader(location);
            // This returns a list of File objects which were loaded in my class loader.
            // The File objects are created from the URL's I load in the class loader, and have the form:
            // "C:/Some/Path/To/File.jar"
            List<File> compileClassPath = serviceClassLoader.getClassPathFiles();
            // Adding the bin directory which contains the .class files of my app (in Eclipse)
            compileClassPath.add(new File("./bin"));
            // Attempt to add the bin dir with the .class files from another project - this is where the classes are that are failing to load
            compileClassPath.add(new File("C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/David/workspace/CoreServices/bin/"));
  fileManager.setLocation(StandardLocation.CLASS_PATH, compileClassPath);The output I'm seeing includes:
CentralLoggingService_CentralLogService_Listener.java:5: package com.dave.service.logging does not exist
import com.dave.service.logging.CentralLoggingService;
                                 ^
CentralLoggingService_CentralLogService_Listener.java:7: cannot find symbol
symbol: class CentralLogService
public class CentralLoggingService_CentralLogService_Listener implements MessageListener<CentralLogService>So, basically, I need to know how to either:
1) Set the class path for the JavaCompiler so that it will load classes that are required by the source being compiled, or...
2) Set the classloader the JavaCompiler uses to resolve those classes.
I've tried everything I could think of, even reading through the compiler source, and nothing has worked yet.
Can anyone help?!?

Answer 1

Hi,
I am not sure but the argument to new File() looks dubious to me.
You seem to be mixing URL and filename syntax.
What does this do?
class FileTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        system.out.println(new File("C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/David/workspace/CoreServices/bin/").exists());
}if its false then that directory doesn't exist.
I would use backslashes (don't forget to escape them) and spaces, and no trailing path separator - like this
class FileTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        system.out.println(new File("C:\\Documents and Settings\\David\\workspace\\CoreServices\\bin").exists());
}Play around with that till you can create a File object that exists and isDirectory().
When I have done this in the past, I have used the existing classpath to set the classpath for invoking the compiler. For example this snippet from the hickory project at [https://hickory.dev.java.net/source/browse/hickory/trunk/code/src/net/java/dev/hickory/testing/Compilation.java?rev=11&view=markup|https://hickory.dev.java.net/source/browse/hickory/trunk/code/src/net/java/dev/hickory/testing/Compilation.java?rev=11&view=markup]
List<String> optionList = new ArrayList<String>();
optionList.addAll(Arrays.asList("-classpath",System.getProperty("java.class.path")));
optionList.addAll(Arrays.asList(options));
JavaCompiler.CompilationTask task = compiler.getTask(out,jfm,diagnostics,optionList,null,jfos);An advantage of that technique is that you don't have the path hard coded in the program. Useful if someone else wants to run it.
In fact, you might find it useful to use the hickory testing package which provides an abstraction over the compiler API. See the javadoc starting here
[https://hickory.dev.java.net/nonav/apidocs/index.html?net/java/dev/hickory/testing/Compilation.html|https://hickory.dev.java.net/nonav/apidocs/index.html?net/java/dev/hickory/testing/Compilation.html]
Bruce