Can Java Really Change its Working Directory?

Using Java to Modify the Working Directory

Despite the widespread belief that it cannot be done, modifying the current working directory within a Java program presents a challenge. However, thorough investigation reveals that this functionality is indeed absent in plain Java.

Attempts to adjust the "user.dir" property through "System.setProperty()" or Java command-line arguments ("java -Duser.dir=...") appear to influence subsequent "File" creations but not "FileOutputStreams," for example. This inconsistency further complicates the matter.

Despite this limitation, the "File(String parent, String child)" constructor offers a solution. By segregating directory and file paths into separate variables, you gain greater flexibility and simplify path swapping.

Alternatively, invoking Java from a different directory using a script or utilizing JNI native code allows you to overcome this restriction. Regrettably, the corresponding OpenJDK bug was marked as "will not fix" in 2008, leaving this issue unresolved within the pure Java domain.

The above is the detailed content of Can Java Really Change its Working Directory?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!