Working directory for a Java program?

Question

I have a Swing app which uses a text file for saving/loading configuration options.
I can load/save just fine when I launch the program from the IDE -- but when I copy the JAR file (in the DIST folder) to a given location and run it there, it seems to be using some strange directory -- certainly not the folder the .JAR is residing in.
Any ideas?
Matthew

Answer 1

   private void vLoadConfigFile() {
        FileReader fr = null;
        String strFullPath = "";
        char[] cTemp;
        boolean ynStripSepChar = false;
        try {
            strFullPath = "email.cfg";
            File ffile = new File (strFullPath);
            fr = new FileReader(ffile);
            BufferedReader bis = new BufferedReader(fr);
            cTemp = bis.readLine().toCharArray();
            cSepChar = cTemp[0];
            strSourceDirectory = bis.readLine();
        catch (java.io.IOException ex) {
            vSaveConfigFile();
        finally {
            try {
                if (fr != null) {
                    fr.close();
            catch (java.io.IOException ex) {
    private void vSaveConfigFile() {
        FileWriter outputStream = null;
        String strFullPath = "";
        String strOutputFile = "email.cfg";
        int nIter = 0;
        Integer nTotal = 0;
        String s = "";
        try {
            strFullPath = strOutputFile;
            outputStream = new FileWriter(strFullPath);
            outputStream.write(String.valueOf(cSepChar) + "\n");
            outputStream.write(strSourceDirectory + "\n");
        catch (java.io.IOException ex) {
        finally {
            try {
                if (outputStream != null) {
                    outputStream.close();
            catch (java.io.IOException ex) {
    }