what does java -ea:test1 test1 file2 mean?

[Vishal Hegde]

java -ea:test1 test1 file2

[Tom Reilly]

-ea means enable assertions. Do you know what assertions are? Here's a link that explains.

[fred rosenberger]

ummm....

C:\Documents and Settings\Fred>java -h
Usage: java [-options] class [args...]
(to execute a class)
or java [-options] -jar jarfile [args...]
(to execute a jar file)

where options include:
-client to select the "client" VM
-server to select the "server" VM
-hotspot is a synonym for the "client" VM [deprecated]
The default VM is client.

-cp <class search path of directories and zip/jar files>
-classpath <class search path of directories and zip/jar files>
A ; separated list of directories, JAR archives,
and ZIP archives to search for class files.
-D<name>=<value>
set a system property
-verbose[:class|gc|jni]
enable verbose output
-version print product version and exit
-version:<value>
require the specified version to run
-showversion print product version and continue
-jre-restrict-search | -jre-no-restrict-search
include/exclude user private JREs in the version search
-? -help print this help message
-X print help on non-standard options
-ea[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
-enableassertions[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
enable assertions
-da[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
-disableassertions[:<packagename>...|:<classname>]
disable assertions
-esa | -enablesystemassertions
enable system assertions
-dsa | -disablesystemassertions
disable system assertions
-agentlib:<libname>[=<options>]
load native agent library <libname>, e.g. -agentlib:hprof
see also, -agentlib:jdwp=help and -agentlib:hprof=help
-agentpath:<pathname>[=<options>]
load native agent library by full pathname
-javaagent:<jarpath>[=<options>]
load Java programming language agent, see java.lang.instrument

-splash:<imagepath>
show splash screen with specified image

C:\Documents and Settings\Fred>

According to my install, -ea is for the package name.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Having seen what fred rosenberger posted, it appears that you are enabling assertions for "test1", then running "test2" with file2 a a command-line argument

[Vishal Hegde]

Tom Reilly wrote:-ea means enable assertions. Do you know what assertions are? Here's a link that explains.

Yes its used for debugging an application