Problem witth NoInitialContextException

[Micheal John]

I am started learning EJB from HFEJB for the exam: I have a tought time with the first sample example on sesion bean:

Why I am getting this error? How to resolve it?

D:\EJB Projects\advice\classes>java headfirstClient.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(NamingManager.java:6
45)
        at javax.naming.InitialContext.getDefaultInitCtx(InitialContext.java:247
)
        at javax.naming.InitialContext.getURLOrDefaultInitCtx(InitialContext.jav
a:284)
        at javax.naming.InitialContext.lookup(InitialContext.java:351)
        at headfirstClient.AdviceClient.go(AdviceClient.java:17)
        at headfirstClient.AdviceClient.main(AdviceClient.java:11)

My Folder structure:

 
EJB Projects ---------------
  |      |                 |
  |      |                 |
advice   AdviceApp.ear   AdviceAppClient.jar 
  |
  |___ src 
  |     |___ headfirst
  |     |        |_______ Advice.java, AdviceBean.java, AdviceHome.java
  |     |  
  ||___ headfirstClinet
  | |______ AdviceClient.java
  |
  |
  |___ classes
        |___ headfirst
| |_______ Advice.class, AdviceBean.class, AdviceHome.class              
|
|___ headfirstClinet
 |______ AdviceClient.class
 

package headfirst;
 
import javax.ejb.*;
 
public class AdviceBean implements SessionBean{
 
private String[] adviceString={"one","two","three"};

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 ejbCreate(){
System.out.println("ejb create");
}

public String getAdvice(){
System.out.println("in get advice");
int random = (int)(Math.random()*adviceString.length);
return adviceString[random];
}

public void setSessionContext(SessionContext ctx){
System.out.println("in setSessionContext");
}
}

package headfirst;
 
import javax.ejb.*;
import java.rmi.RemoteException;
 
public interface Advice extends EJBObject{
public String getAdvice() throws RemoteException;
}

package headfirst;
 
import javax.ejb.*;
import java.rmi.RemoteException;
import headfirst.Advice;
 
public interface AdviceHome extends EJBHome{
public Advice create() throws CreateException, RemoteException;
}

package headfirstClient;
 
import javax.naming.*;
import javax.rmi.*;
import java.rmi.*;
import javax.ejb.*;
import headfirst.*;
 
public class AdviceClient{
public static void main(String args[]){
new AdviceClient().go();
}
 
public void go(){
try{
Context ic = new InitialContext();
Object o = ic.lookup("Advisor");
AdviceHome home = (AdviceHome)PortableRemoteObject.narrow(o,AdviceHome.class);
Advice advisor = home.create();
System.out.println(advisor.getAdvice());
}catch(Exception e){
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}

[Nitesh Kant]

You need to pass two properties to the InitialContext, viz., Context.INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY and Context.PROVIDER_URL.
You can refer to the sample client at the following location:Writing an ejb client

[Micheal John]

Thanks for your reply Nitesh...
I am wondering how come the authors of Head First EJB not mentioned anything about this and whether without the properties on InitialContext it will work(optional)?

[Gowher Naik]

For me it is working without properties on InitialContext.
I am using j2sdkee1.3.1 and jdk1.3.1_19

[Nitesh Kant]

I dont think that without the properties the initial context can be created.
You can see the Initial context javadocs for the details. Probably, you have the properties available in some property file in the classpath.

[Micheal John]

hi gowher,

Can you send me the link where you downloaded the J2EE1.3 server. I have searched but couldn't get that, so i have downloaded the J2EE server 8.0.. i think it's 1.4 and installed it.. If I have 1.3, then it will be nice..