Developing SQL Server based Java Apps using NetBeans IDE

When you install “Microsoft SQL Server 2000 driver for JDBC Service Pack 3,” it gets installed at the default path “C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server 2000 Driver for JDBC.”  If you try to look at “C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server 2000 Driver for JDBClib,” you will not be surprised to find the following files:

• msbase.jar
• mssqlserver.jar
• msutil.jar

In the case of Microsoft SQL Server 2005, you may find different files/paths. All those files are required to be included in the CLASSPATH.  To include them in the CLASSPATH, you can follow the following steps.

• Right click on “My Computer” and select “Properties.”
• Go to “Advanced” tab.
• Click on “Environment Variables” (Fig 01).
  
  
  
• Within the “System Variables” section, you must see “CLASSPATH” in the first column.  If you are unable to see that, click on “Add” and proceed as in the following step.
• Select “CLASSPATH” and click “Edit.”  Within the “Variable Value,” move to the last (without disturbing anything which exists) and paste the following paths:
  
  C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server 2000 Driver for JDBClibmsbase.jar;C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server 2000 Driver for JDBClibmssqlserver.jar;C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server 2000 Driver for JDBClibmsutil.jar;.

You need to change the path based on its installation.  The above is the default installation path of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 JDBC driver.

Note that you need not follow the above steps, if you would like to use NetBeans IDE (or any other powerful Java IDE) for your Java application. The above steps are basically for Java developers who don’t use any IDE.