User Guide

Getting ClassBrowser

Installing ClassBrowser

Just unzip the distribution file (either source or binary edition) wherever you want.
E.g.:

	$ unzip classBrowser-0.1-src.zip

Building ClassBrowser

The source edition of ClassBrowser includes an Ant build.xml file.

If you have Ant installed on your system (I strongly encourage you), you can build ClassBrowser just changing to the proper directory and typing:

	$ ant build

The build.xml file is explained in detail here.

If you don't have Ant installed on your system, you can follow these steps.

Running ClassBrowser

The binary edition of ClassBrowser includes the main jar file (classBrowser.jar). You can start ClassBrowser just changing to the proper directory and typing:

	$ java -jar classBrowser.jar

If you are using a SDK prior to 1.2 you must use this command instead:

	$ java -classpath classBrowser.jar:util.jar emiedes.classBrowser.Browser

The sorce edition of ClassBrowser does not include the main jar file, so you will have to build it. Once classBrowser.jar has been built, you can start ClassBrowser same way as above.
You can instead use the target run of the Ant build.xml:

	$ ant run

Loading and browsing a class

To load a class just simply open the File menu, open the Load item, navigate through the filesystem to the class file you want to open, select it and then push the Open button.

Solving the Class not found issue

In some special cases, ClassBrowser is not able to directly load a class, and requires a little aid from the user. The reason for this follows.

• The class to load must be located in a directory that respects the directory hierarchy corresponding to the package the class belongs to. If the class to load does not belong to any package, the file can be located in any directory.
• Class loading fails when a class depends (e.g.: uses) on other class that ClassBrowser is not able to find.
  ClassBrowser is able to detect this situation and then asks the user for a directory or jar file where to look in for the missing class, or directly for the class file.