Compile with flags in Java

Hi all,

I'm learning Java with the book HeadFirstJava, but I don't completely understand how you can compile with flags.
E.g.:

%cd MyProject/source
%javac -d ../classes com/headfirstjava/PackageExercise.java

Where do you enter this? I believe it's not in the actual code. They give a lot of flags in the book, but they don't tell you how to use them.

Hope someone can help. Thanks.

it depends on what operating system you are using. Many of us old-timers on windows call it a DOS prompt. Go to start->run. type "cmd" in the pop up, and you'll get a black box with something like

C:\>

it is there that you enter the commands. If you are on a Mac, I can't help you. If you are on Unix/Linux, you should already know what they are talking about.

If you're using Windows, you'll type in those commands in a command prompt window. If you don't know what a command prompt window is and how to use it, then you can find tutorials for it on the web.

Note: The "%" in those commands should not be typed in, that's not part of the commands.

On Mac OS X or Linux, you'd use a terminal window for the same commands. Some commands might have slightly different syntax on Mac OS X or Linux compared to Windows.

These commands are executed in the background when you compile your code in your IDE like Netbeans/Eclipse/IntelliJ
You can also compile your code manually without the need of an IDE. That is what is described in the book.

If you are just starting out, most folks around here would recommended not using and IDE like Netbeans/Eclipse/IntelliJ. There is enough to learn just with Java that adding in a behemoth like those make it that much harder - and often you end up fighting with the tool rather than the language.

Get a simple text editor (I use ConText, but search around and you will find plenty of recommendations for others) and compile your code by hand on the command line.

Thanks for your replies. I do understand now how to use these commands.