Easy question for any over-critical java tech!

Question

hi over-critical java tech man/woman. i have this class library for org.apache.poi.* .. which i will be using to manipulate .xls and .doc type files. i need help installing it. i havnt tried any command-line stuff yet, which im sure is the right way to go. ive been dragging and dropping into the src.zip file .. which could be harmful .. yes? oh boy im in for some scrazy responses

Answer 1

thanks for the reply duffy,
I looked through the .jar file I was using and it contained all the necessary classes I needed to compile my java file. In my java file, I have included the line:
import org.apache.poi.*;
as a package to try and obtain all the necessary classes needed to compile my file.
In the jar file the folders are ordered in that exact order:
org/apache/poi/'all class folders here'.
when I type the following into the command prompt and press enter:
java -cp ;c:\poitools\poi-2.5.1-final-20040804.jar
i get the following message:
Usage: java [-options] class [args...]
(to execute a class)
or java [-options] -jar jarfile [args...]
(to execute a jar file)
where options include:
-client to select the "client" VM
-server to select the "server" VM
-hotspot is a synonym for the "client" VM [deprecated]
The default VM is client.
-cp <class search path of directories and zip/jar files>
-classpath <class search path of directories and zip/jar files>
A ; separated list of directories, JAR archives,
and ZIP archives to search for class files.
-D<name>=<value>
set a system property
-verbose[:class|gc|jni]
enable verbose output
-version print product version and exit
-version:<value>
require the specified version to run
-showversion print product version and continue
-jre-restrict-search | -jre-no-restrict-search
include/exclude user private JREs in the version search
-? -help print this help message
-X print help on non-standard options
-ea[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
-enableassertions[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
enable assertions
-da[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
-disableassertions[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
disable assertions
-esa | -enablesystemassertions
enable system assertions
-dsa | -disablesystemassertions
disable system assertions
-agentlib:<libname>[=<options>]
load native agent library <libname>, e.g. -agentlib:hprof
see also, -agentlib:jdwp=help and -agentlib:hprof=help
-agentpath:<pathname>[=<options>]
load native agent library by full pathname
-javaagent:<jarpath>[=<options>]
load Java programming language agent, see java.lang.instrument
But I'm confused, because I'm following the steps found on a 'java classpath website'. I guess I'll keep trying, but I'm exhausted from doing the same thing over and over again.