Create a bash alias to compile any .java program in the current directory

Question

I am attempting to create a bash alias that compiles all files with the .java extension and then runs all the files with the .class extension in the current working directory.

I currently have the alias

alias jcompile="cd $pwd; javac *.java; java *.class"

I would expect this to find any java programs and compile them, and then run them, but it throws this error.

error: file not found: *.java
Usage: javac <options> <source files>
use --help for a list of possible options
Error: Could not find or load main class *.class
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: *.class

i was trying to get the working directory, i guess it was supposed to be $PWD — Asher
– Asher, Commented Jul 2, 2019 at 17:45

jeremysprofile · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-02 17:41:04Z

3

Unless you're defining $pwd specifically, it doesn't mean anything. pwd is a command that will tell you your current path, and $PWD is a variable that holds your current path. If you are defining a variable pwd, you might want to change it to something more distinctive.

If you want your function to run in a location that isn't your current directory, you could pass it as an argument:

jcompile() {
  cd "$1"
  javac *.java
  java *.class
}

and run it via

jcompile /my/path/to/directory

edited Jul 2, 2019 at 17:41

answered Jul 2, 2019 at 17:33

jeremysprofile

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2 Comments

Asher Over a year ago

i was using pwd to get the working directory, not defining a new one

jeremysprofile Over a year ago

then just remove that part of the alias, and it should work. You don't need to cd to your current location, you're already there.

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