Help registering driver mysql-connector-j

Question

Error: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
Hello Everyone, I keep on getting a java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
exception when I attempt to register the mysql-connector-j.
I'm just using the code from it's documentation:
public class LoadDriver {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
Class.forName("com.mysql.jdbc.Driver").newInstance();
} catch (Exception ex) {
System.out.println(ex);
I have a CLASSPATH 'user' variable containing...
C:\JavaStuff; C:\mysql-connector-java-3.1.1-alpha\mysql-connector-java-3.1.1-alpha-bin.jar
Where JavaStuff is the location of the LoadDriver class. I have to fix this thing as soon as possible as I'm currently working on a project. Much help will be apprecieated. I have a feeling it may be somthing to do with the classpath!

Answer 1

It is the classpath.
Do you really have a space after c:\javastuff? (You shouldn't.)
Is that really the path to the jar file? And does that jar file really contain the driver class?
I assume you are asking in the context of a Java application, which uses the CLASSPATH environment variable. Other possibilities (servlets, applets, executable jar files) have other ways of finding classes.