Naming error: javax.naming.NoInitialContextException

Question

I get the below error message when I try to run the testing class below that. I googled the exception and read:
This exception is thrown when no initial context implementation can be created. The policy of how an initial context implementation is selected is described in the documentation of the InitialContext class.
// then I read this: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/adiehelp/index.jsp?topic=/com.sun.api.doc/javax/naming/NoInitialContextException.html
This exception can be thrown during any interaction with the InitialContext, not only when the InitialContext is constructed. For example, the implementation of the initial context might lazily retrieve the context only when actual methods are invoked on it.
I really dont understand what I read. Could someone please explain what my issue is and why it is occurring and how I could fix it.
Thank you in advance,
Crystal
Naming error: javax.naming.NoInitialContextException: Need to specify class name
in environment or system property, or as an applet parameter, or in an applicat
ion resource file:  java.naming.factory.initial
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
        at notifier.notifierMethod.SiteManager(notifierMethod.java:230)
        at notifier.testing.main(testing.java:22)
testing.java
class testing {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        //Display "Hello World!"
        System.out.println("Hello World!");
        notifier notifierInformation = new notifier();
        //session.setAttribute("notifier", notifierInformation);
        //get db connection
        database.DataFactory dbf = database.DataFactory.getDataFactory(database.DataFactory.sybase);
        notifierInterface notifierDB = dbf.getNotifierInterface();
        notifier sitemanager = notifierDB.SiteManager(newID, notifierInformation);  // LINE 22
notifierMethod
public notifier SiteManager(String newID, notifier notifierInformation) {
        try {
            ArrayList sitemgrList = new ArrayList();
            this.conn = database.SybaseDAO.grabConnection();
            cs = conn.prepareCall("{call mt."+newID+"_Notifier_SiteManager()}"); // LINE 230
            rs = cs.executeQuery();
            while(rs.next()) {
                String owner = rs.getString(1);
                    sitemgrList.add(owner);
            notifierInformation.setSitemgrList(sitemgrList);
}

Answer 1

Aleen - Thank you for your help but I just dont get what you are saying at all! I am reading through all the links and its just not clicking with me. Is it possible for you to show me a vague example of what you mean?
What do you mean by system properties/enviroment parameters? Do you mean what is in my web.xml/server.xml, like so?
public static Connection grabConnection() {
        Connection conn = null;
        try {
            Context ctx = (Context)new InitialContext().lookup("java:comp/env");
            DataSource ds = (DataSource)ctx.lookup("jdbc/connectDB");
            conn = ds.getConnection();
        } catch(SQLException e) { System.err.println("SQL error: " + e);
        } catch(NamingException n) { System.err.println("Naming error: " + n);
        return conn;
web.xml
<description>MySQL Test App</description>
<resource-ref>
      <description>DB Connection</description>
      <res-ref-name>jdbc/connectDB</res-ref-name>
      <res-type>javax.sql.DataSource</res-type>
      <res-auth>Container</res-auth>
</resource-ref>
server.xml
<Context path="/appName" docBase="/appName"
        debug="5" reloadable="true" crossContext="true">
  <Logger className="org.apache.catalina.logger.FileLogger"
             prefix="localhost_DBPool_log" suffix=".log"
             timestamp="true"/>
<Resource name="jdbc/connectDB" auth="Container" type="javax.sql.DataSource"
               maxActive="5" maxIdle="1" maxWait="10000" removeAbandoned="true"
            removeAbandonedTimeout="60" logAbandoned="true"
               username="myName" password="myPass" driverClassName="sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver"
               url="jdbc:odbc:webdev"/>
</Context>I just dont understand why if I have this code in a servlet it works fine but when I try to put it in a java class it doesnt work. And I am sorry in advance, I am not trying to be a pain in the a55 to you.. and I will keep reading
Thanks - Crystal