Help getting Java to work

-oRnein9-

I have downloaded and installed Java on my machine but I can't get it to work, there are no links in my start-> programs-> window, there is clearly java files in
my computer-> C:\-> program files->Java, but when i double click on the console icon labelled Java the command prompt window opens for a mili-second and then closes again. I have read numorous java installation guides but none offer any relevance to my problem and they are all full of bull****, can anyone help me to get it running. btw I am using window XP Home.
Thanks in advance

napalm@night

if you want to complie your java etc you need to download the java devlopment kit from sun v1.5.0 is the latest on their site download and install that then edit your PATH in your enviorment varibles for xp right click my computer, props, advanced, enviorment varibles you will find PATH in the lower box, edit the value and add ";C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.5.0\bin" (no quote marks) to it there should be NO spaces then say ok open a command prompt and the javac command should work...

napalm@night

oh and yes i agree those how tos are POS...

-oRnein9-

Yeah sound nice1 I got it working finally.
Ta
Mate.

madramor

use netbeans.org to help develop your code

also

jdk1.5 in less than a weeek old, and has some small
coding differences to previous editions, you you want to
run your code on different machines i'd use a previous
version

napalm@night

kul no worries