How to resolve NoInitialContextException?

[Mark Henryson]

I am using, Head First EJB. I have encountered some problem while executing the example given in that book:

I am using Sun Application Server 8.. Windows 2000..

Exception
---------

E:\EJB Projects\advice>java AdviceClient
javax.naming.NoInitialContextException: Need to specify class name in environmen t or system property, or as an applet parameter, or in an application resource f
ile:  java.naming.factory.initial
        at javax.naming.spi.NamingManager.getInitialContext(Unknown Source)
        at javax.naming.InitialContext.getDefaultInitCtx(Unknown Source)
        at javax.naming.InitialContext.getURLOrDefaultInitCtx(Unknown
Source)
        at javax.naming.InitialContext.lookup(Unknown Source)
        at AdviceClient.go(AdviceClient.java:18)
        at AdviceClient.main(AdviceClient.java:11)

Folder Structure
---------------------

E:\EJB Projects
|
|__ advice folder
|__ adviceClient.jar
|__ advice.ear
 
E:\EJB Projects\advice
   |
   |__ classes folder
   |__ src folder
   |__ AdviceClient.java / AdviceClient.class
 
E:\EJB Projects\advice\src
|
|__ sna\Advice.java, sna\AdviceBean.java, sna\AdviceHome.java
 
E:\EJB Projects\advice\classes
|
|__ sna\Advice.class, sna\AdviceBean.class, sna\AdviceHome.class

Coding
-------

package sna;
 
import javax.ejb.*;
import java.rmi.RemoteException;
 
public interface Advice extends EJBObject{
public String getAdvice() throws RemoteException;
}
 
 
package sna;
 
import javax.ejb.*;
 
public class AdviceBean implements SessionBean{
 
private String[] adviceStrings = {"One Word","Two Word","Three Word","Four Word","Five Word","Six Word","Seven Word","Eight Word","Nine Word","Ten Word"};
 
public void ejbActivate(){
System.out.println("ejb activate");
}
 
public void ejbPassivate(){
System.out.println("ejb passivate");
}
 
public void ejbRemove(){
System.out.println("ejb remove");
}
 
public void setSessionContext(SessionContext ctx){
System.out.println("ejb setSessionContext");
}
 
public String getAdvice(){
System.out.println("Inside getAdvice()");
int random = (int) (Math.random() * adviceStrings.length);
return adviceStrings[random];
}
 
public void ejbCreate(){
System.out.println("in ejb create");
}
 
}
 
 
package sna;
 
import javax.ejb.*;
import java.rmi.RemoteException;
 
public interface AdviceHome extends EJBHome{
public Advice create() throws CreateException, RemoteException;
}
 
import javax.naming.*;
import java.rmi.*;
import javax.rmi.*;
import sna.*;
import javax.ejb.*;
 
 
public class AdviceClient{
 
public static void main(String args[]){
new AdviceClient().go();
}
 
public void go(){
try{
System.out.println("Comes here");
Context ic = new InitialContext();
Object o = ic.lookup("EJB Project/Advisor");
 
AdviceHome home = (AdviceHome)PortableRemoteObject.narrow(o,AdviceHome.class);

Advice advisor = home.create();
System.out.println("SUCCESS ::::::::::"+advisor.getAdvice());
 
}catch(Exception e){
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
 

[ November 06, 2006: Message edited by: Mark Henryson ]

[Jaikiran Pai]

You need to have a jndi.properties file in the client's classpath. I am not sure about the exact contents for Sun App Server.

[Micheal John]

Where the jndi.properties will be?

[Jaikiran Pai]

It should be in the classpath of the client which is doing the lookup. I am not quite sure about the contents for the Sun App Server. Here's what i could come up with the help of Google:

java.naming.factory.initial=com.sun.jndi.fscontext.RefFSContextFactory
java.naming.provider.url=iiop://localhost:3700

This is what your jndi.properties should contain. Give it a try and let us know if that doesnt work.

[Sunil Huilgol]

You can use this to remove the exception :

 
      Properties p = new Properties();
      p.put(Context.INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY,
                    "org.jnp.interfaces.NamingContextFactory");
      p.put(Context.PROVIDER_URL,"jnp://your-ip:1099");
      Context context = new InitialContext(p);

You can use above context to look up your EJB.