Troubleshooting Java Arguments: How to Fix Common Errors

[Grep]

I wouldn't assume it's Netbeans and not something you did (or didn't do). I would be pretty surprised if they've managed to break such simple and basic functionality. You can try Eclipse if you like. I tend to use it for Java and Python. But Netbeans is quite good.

While I'm thinking of it, why don't you just copy/paste messages and such into the forums rather than making us look at screenshots and such? Because I'll tell you that I didn't look at them. If you want me to look at them, paste them into the forum. Taking screenshots of text is, in most cases, really pointless.

Anyways, I took some time out to make a quick test project in my Netbeans 6.9.1 (good to know there's a 7 out, I'll try that out later). I wrote out all my steps one-by-one. It works fine for me. Here's the steps:

1. Start Netbeans

2. In the menu bar, select File->New Project.
Make sure these are selected in the dialog box:
Categories: Java
Projects: Java Application
Hit Next
Fill in the Project Name field with: ArgTest
Take note of where it is putting your project in the Project Location and
Project Folder fields.
Hit Finish

3. Edit the Main.java file and add this to the main function's body (you can remove the comment in there, of course):

        for (String arg : args) {
            System.out.println(arg);
        }

4. Click "Build Main Project" icon in toolbar (a hammer). Wait for it to finish.

5. In Run menu, select "Set Project Configuration->Customize...".
In the Categories sidebar, "Run" should be selected. In the "Arguments"
text edit, enter test arguments such as (without the quotes):

"arg1 arg2 arg3 arg4"

Click Ok.

6. Click the "Run Main Project" icon in the toolbar (green arrow facing
right). In the output pane, you should see the arguments you passed in.
I see this:

run:
arg1
arg2
arg3
arg4
BUILD SUCCESSFUL (total time: 1 second)

If you get a different result here, I'm rather surprised.

I'll probably install the latest version of NetBeans soon, so I'll check it out again in version 7 later.

EDIT: I installed NetBeans 7 (in Linux) and ran the project I created, and the arguments came through perfectly. I can try remaking the project from scratch in 7.0 if you like. But argument passing is not broken in NetBeans 7.0, at least in general. Could be it's a Windows only bug, but I really, seriously doubt it.

 

[Grep]

I've got one possibility why it might not see your arguments.

In the project directory, there's a subdirectory called nbproject. It has a subdirectory called private. In that directory, there's the file that should contain your arguments called private.properties.

My private.properties contains this line right at the start:

application.args=arg1 arg2 arg3 arg4

Make sure you have something like that in yours.

If it's not picking it up, it may have been overridden by something in your build.xml file (which is right in the root of your project's directory). Make sure you don't have a line like this:

<target name="-init-private" depends="-pre-init">

From what Some Guy On The Internet(tm) says, that causes the one in private.properties to be ignored. I don't have anything but the opening XML tag, a project element that wraps everything, and a description and an import tag inside.

Not 100% sure how to fix it (if that's it), but he says you need to put a line in your project.properties file (which is in the nbproject subdirectory).

I would try two things (keeping a backup of any file modified so you can put it back in place if anything breaks)). First, removing that offending line from the build.xml, if present. I would try that first. Not sure how it gets in there, or why, but perhaps removing it will fix it.

Otherwise, perhaps adding the args parameter that's in private.properties to project.properties will fix it.

So, in my case (with the example in the previous post), I would try adding this line from private.properties to project.properties:

application.args=arg1 arg2 arg3 arg4

Let me know if any of that works. Also, I'll repeat because it's important. Make backups of any file you edit so you can copy it back in place if it messes things up. This is just info from some random person on the 'net that I found. I haven't tried it out (for one, I don't have the problem you're having).

 

[UltimateSomni]

Yes, so I click Run Main Project instead of Run File. It all works now.

 

[Mark44]

I wouldn't assume it's Netbeans and not something you did (or didn't do). I would be pretty surprised if they've managed to break such simple and basic functionality. You can try Eclipse if you like. I tend to use it for Java and Python. But Netbeans is quite good.

While I'm thinking of it, why don't you just copy/paste messages and such into the forums rather than making us look at screenshots and such? Because I'll tell you that I didn't look at them. If you want me to look at them, paste them into the forum. Taking screenshots of text is, in most cases, really pointless.

Anyways, I took some time out to make a quick test project in my Netbeans 6.9.1 (good to know there's a 7 out, I'll try that out later). I wrote out all my steps one-by-one. It works fine for me. Here's the steps:

1. Start Netbeans

2. In the menu bar, select File->New Project.
Make sure these are selected in the dialog box:
Categories: Java
Projects: Java Application
Hit Next
Fill in the Project Name field with: ArgTest
Take note of where it is putting your project in the Project Location and
Project Folder fields.
Hit Finish

3. Edit the Main.java file and add this to the main function's body (you can remove the comment in there, of course):

        for (String arg : args) {
            System.out.println(arg);
        }

4. Click "Build Main Project" icon in toolbar (a hammer). Wait for it to finish.

5. In Run menu, select "Set Project Configuration->Customize...".
In the Categories sidebar, "Run" should be selected. In the "Arguments"
text edit, enter test arguments such as (without the quotes):

"arg1 arg2 arg3 arg4"

Click Ok.

6. Click the "Run Main Project" icon in the toolbar (green arrow facing
right). In the output pane, you should see the arguments you passed in.
I see this:

run:
arg1
arg2
arg3
arg4
BUILD SUCCESSFUL (total time: 1 second)

If you get a different result here, I'm rather surprised.

I'll probably install the latest version of NetBeans soon, so I'll check it out again in version 7 later.

EDIT: I installed NetBeans 7 (in Linux) and ran the project I created, and the arguments came through perfectly. I can try remaking the project from scratch in 7.0 if you like. But argument passing is not broken in NetBeans 7.0, at least in general. Could be it's a Windows only bug, but I really, seriously doubt it.

Very nice!

 

[Grep]

Yes, so I click Run Main Project instead of Run File. It all works now.

Excellent! Now it makes sense why it wasn't working.

Very nice!

Thanks, Mark!

 

[Borg]

Yes, so I click Run Main Project instead of Run File. It all works now.

Hooray!