java engines

[SzG]

I use very few java engines. Reason: whenever there is a java update, the java.exe path changes by following the version number and the engines do not see java.exe any more. To correct the path in each batch file is tiresome and I even might forget all occurrences.

There might be a solution for the engines to follow the path changes but I don't know it. Maybe some environment variable can be used? Can someone enlighten me?

[CRoberson]

There is a PATH environment variable. Create a symbolic link to that spot at C: and call it CURRENTJAVA, then put CURRENTJAVA in the PATH. When Java versions change, change the CURRENTJAVA link to the new spot.

To all the programs and the PATH variable it seems like the Java location never changes.

[Matthias Gemuh]

I use very few java engines. Reason: whenever there is a java update, the java.exe path changes by following the version number and the engines do not see java.exe any more. To correct the path in each batch file is tiresome and I even might forget all occurrences.

There might be a solution for the engines to follow the path changes but I don't know it. Maybe some environment variable can be used? Can someone enlighten me?

ChessGUI uses javaw.exe without a path.

[SzG]

There is a PATH environment variable. Create a symbolic link to that spot at C: and call it CURRENTJAVA, then put CURRENTJAVA in the PATH. When Java versions change, change the CURRENTJAVA link to the new spot.

To all the programs and the PATH variable it seems like the Java location never changes.

Hi Charles,

Thank you for the hint. This is what I have done:

1. I have created a Current_java_location variable which has the value c:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_65\bin.

2. I appended Current_java_location to the Path variable. (BTW, can it not be done in one step, without the above variable?)

Now when I invoke the 'whatever' engine with java.exe -jar whatever etc., it runs but I don't know which java it uses because the Path variable also contains a C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath element and at that location I find 3 files, one of them is java.exe (the other 2 are javaw.exe and javaws.exe) but it is 0 bytes long (??). And while java is running, Task Manager points to that location.
I am not sure if the 32-bit or the 64-bit java is running (I have both installed).

Sorry for the confusion.