Problem with loading driver

[Popescu Ion]

import java.sql.Connection;
import java.sql.DriverManager;
import java.sql.SQLException;

public class LoadDriver {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {

Class.forName("com.mysql.jdbc.Driver").newInstance();
} catch (Exception ex) {
 ex.printStackTrace();
}
}
}

i get this error :

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: LoadDriver
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: LoadDriver
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:202)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:190)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:307)
at sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader.loadClass(Launcher.java:301)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:248)
Could not find the main class: LoadDriver. Program will exit.

I already created a environment variable named CLASSPATH and give it value = C:\mysql-connector-java-5.1.14\mysql-connector-java-5.1.14-bin.jar.
What can be the problem. Please help. Thnx in advance.

[Paul Clapham]

Look carefully at the error message. It tells you exactly what class couldn't be found.

And what is that class? Its name is "LoadDriver". That's the class you wrote, isn't it?

Now look at the classpath you set. It consists of only one jar file. Is the class you wrote in that jar file? I think you will find it is not. Therefore, since LoadDriver isn't in that jar file, it isn't in the classpath. And therefore it can't be loaded. Obvious, right? (And nothing to do with JDBC.)

[Popescu Ion]

I can't figure out what value should i put in CLASSPATH - the folder location of conncetor/j or the jar file? Should I put the class that i created in that folder too? I'am totaly wracked. Please don't leave me without an answer. I had been on this since yesterday and without results. Thnx in advance for your patience.

[Jan Cumps]

Should I put the class that i created in that folder too?

No. Add it's location to the classpath.

[Ulf Dittmer]

I strongly recommend not to use the CLASSPATH environment variable; it creates more problems than it solves, particularly for beginners. You can run your code using the "-cp" command line option instead, something like:

java -cp .;C:\mysql-connector-java-5.1.14\mysql-connector-java-5.1.14-bin.jar LoadDriver

Note the "." at the beginning of the classpath - it denotes the current directory (which should have the LoadDriver class in it).