System (Java 2 Platform SE v1.4.1)

java.lang
Class System
java.lang.Object
  |
  +--java.lang.System
public final class System
extends Object

The System class contains several useful class fields and methods. It cannot be instantiated.
Among the facilities provided by the System class are standard input, standard output, and error output streams; access to externally defined "properties"; a means of loading files and libraries; and a utility method for quickly copying a portion of an array.

Since:

JDK1.0
Field Summary
static PrintStream err
    The "standard" error output stream.
static InputStream in
    The "standard" input stream.
static PrintStream out
    The "standard" output stream.
Method Summary
static void arraycopy(Object src, int srcPos, Object dest, int destPos, int length)
    Copies an array from the specified source array, beginning at the specified position, to the specified position of the destination array.
static long currentTimeMillis()
    Returns the current time in milliseconds.
static void exit(int status)
    Terminates the currently running Java Virtual Machine.
static void gc()
    Runs the garbage collector.
static String
getenv(String name)
Deprecated. The preferred way to extract system-dependent information is the system properties of the java.lang.System.getProperty methods and the corresponding getTypeName methods of the Boolean, Integer, and Long primitive types. For example:
     String classPath = System.getProperty("java.class.path",".");
 

     if (Boolean.getBoolean("myapp.exper.mode"))
         enableExpertCommands();
 
static Properties getProperties()
    Determines the current system properties.
static String getProperty(String key)
    Gets the system property indicated by the specified key.
static String getProperty(String key, String def)
    Gets the system property indicated by the specified key.
static SecurityManager getSecurityManager()
    Gets the system security interface.
static int identityHashCode(Object x)
    Returns the same hash code for the given object as would be returned by the default method hashCode(), whether or not the given object's class overrides hashCode().
static void load(String filename)
    Loads a code file with the specified filename from the local file system as a dynamic library.
static void loadLibrary(String libname)
    Loads the system library specified by the libname argument.
static String mapLibraryName(String libname)
    Maps a library name into a platform-specific string representing a native library.
static void runFinalization()
    Runs the finalization methods of any objects pending finalization.
static void runFinalizersOnExit(boolean value)
    Deprecated. This method is inherently unsafe. It may result in finalizers being called on live objects while other threads are concurrently manipulating those objects, resulting in erratic behavior or deadlock.
static void setErr(PrintStream err)
    Reassigns the "standard" error output stream.
static void setIn(InputStream in)
    Reassigns the "standard" input stream.
static void setOut(PrintStream out)
    Reassigns the "standard" output stream.
static void setProperties(Properties props)
    Sets the system properties to the Properties argument.
static String setProperty(String key, String value)
    Sets the system property indicated by the specified key.
static void setSecurityManager(SecurityManager s)
    Sets the System security.
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait
Field Detail

in
public static final InputStream in
The "standard" input stream. This stream is already open and ready to supply input data. Typically this stream corresponds to keyboard input or another input source specified by the host environment or user.

out
public static final PrintStream out
The "standard" output stream. This stream is already open and ready to accept output data. Typically this stream corresponds to display output or another output destination specified by the host environment or user.
For simple stand-alone Java applications, a typical way to write a line of output data is:
     System.out.println(data)
 
See the println methods in class PrintStream.

See Also:
PrintStream.println(), PrintStream.println(boolean), PrintStream.println(char), PrintStream.println(char[]), PrintStream.println(double), PrintStream.println(float), PrintStream.println(int), PrintStream.println(long), PrintStream.println(java.lang.Object), PrintStream.println(java.lang.String)
err
public static final PrintStream err
The "standard" error output stream. This stream is already open and ready to accept output data.
Typically this stream corresponds to display output or another output destination specified by the host environment or user. By convention, this output stream is used to display error messages or other information that should come to the immediate attention of a user even if the principal output stream, the value of the variable out, has been redirected to a file or other destination that is typically not continuously monitored.

Method Detail

setIn
public static void setIn(InputStream in)
Reassigns the "standard" input stream.
First, if there is a security manager, its checkPermission method is called with a RuntimePermission("setIO") permission to see if it's ok to reassign the "standard" input stream.

Parameters:
in - the new standard input stream.
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkPermission method doesn't allow reassigning of the standard input stream.
Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:
SecurityManager.checkPermission(java.security.Permission), RuntimePermission

setOut
public static void setOut(PrintStream out)
Reassigns the "standard" output stream.
First, if there is a security manager, its checkPermission method is called with a RuntimePermission("setIO") permission to see if it's ok to reassign the "standard" output stream.

Parameters:
out - the new standard output stream
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkPermission method doesn't allow reassigning of the standard output stream.
Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:
SecurityManager.checkPermission(java.security.Permission), RuntimePermission

setErr
public static void setErr(PrintStream err)
Reassigns the "standard" error output stream.
First, if there is a security manager, its checkPermission method is called with a RuntimePermission("setIO") permission to see if it's ok to reassign the "standard" error output stream.

Parameters:
err - the new standard error output stream.
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkPermission method doesn't allow reassigning of the standard error output stream.
Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:
SecurityManager.checkPermission(java.security.Permission), RuntimePermission

setSecurityManager
public static void setSecurityManager(SecurityManager s)
Sets the System security.
If there is a security manager already installed, this method first calls the security manager's checkPermission method with a RuntimePermission("setSecurityManager") permission to ensure it's ok to replace the existing security manager. This may result in throwing a SecurityException.
Otherwise, the argument is established as the current security manager. If the argument is null and no security manager has been established, then no action is taken and the method simply returns.

Parameters:
s - the security manager.
Throws:
SecurityException - if the security manager has already been set and its checkPermission method doesn't allow it to be replaced.
See Also:
getSecurityManager(), SecurityManager.checkPermission(java.security.Permission), RuntimePermission

getSecurityManager
public static SecurityManager getSecurityManager()
Gets the system security interface.

Returns:
if a security manager has already been established for the current application, then that security manager is returned; otherwise, null is returned.
See Also:
setSecurityManager(java.lang.SecurityManager)

currentTimeMillis
public static long currentTimeMillis()
Returns the current time in milliseconds. Note that while the unit of time of the return value is a millisecond, the granularity of the value depends on the underlying operating system and may be larger. For example, many operating systems measure time in units of tens of milliseconds.
See the description of the class Date for a discussion of slight discrepancies that may arise between "computer time" and coordinated universal time (UTC).

Returns:
the difference, measured in milliseconds, between the current time and midnight, January 1, 1970 UTC.
See Also:
Date

arraycopy
public static void arraycopy(Object src,
                             int srcPos,
                             Object dest,
                             int destPos,
                             int length)
Copies an array from the specified source array, beginning at the specified position, to the specified position of the destination array. A subsequence of array components are copied from the source array referenced by src to the destination array referenced by dest. The number of components copied is equal to the length argument. The components at positions srcPos through srcPos+length-1 in the source array are copied into positions destPos through destPos+length-1, respectively, of the destination array.
If the src and dest arguments refer to the same array object, then the copying is performed as if the components at positions srcPos through srcPos+length-1 were first copied to a temporary array with length components and then the contents of the temporary array were copied into positions destPos through destPos+length-1 of the destination array.
If dest is null, then a NullPointerException is thrown.
If src is null, then a NullPointerException is thrown and the destination array is not modified.
Otherwise, if any of the following is true, an ArrayStoreException is thrown and the destination is not modified:

The src argument refers to an object that is not an array.
The dest argument refers to an object that is not an array.
The src argument and dest argument refer to arrays whose component types are different primitive types.
The src argument refers to an array with a primitive component type and the dest argument refers to an array with a reference component type.
The src argument refers to an array with a reference component type and the dest argument refers to an array with a primitive component type.

Otherwise, if any of the following is true, an IndexOutOfBoundsException is thrown and the destination is not modified:

The srcPos argument is negative.
The destPos argument is negative.
The length argument is negative.
srcPos+length is greater than src.length, the length of the source array.
destPos+length is greater than dest.length, the length of the destination array.

Otherwise, if any actual component of the source array from position srcPos through srcPos+length-1 cannot be converted to the component type of the destination array by assignment conversion, an ArrayStoreException is thrown. In this case, let k be the smallest nonnegative integer less than length such that src[srcPos+k] cannot be converted to the component type of the destination array; when the exception is thrown, source array components from positions srcPos through srcPos+k-1 will already have been copied to destination array positions destPos through destPos+k-1 and no other positions of the destination array will have been modified. (Because of the restrictions already itemized, this paragraph effectively applies only to the situation where both arrays have component types that are reference types.)

Parameters:
src - the source array.
srcPos - starting position in the source array.
dest - the destination array.
destPos - starting position in the destination data.
length - the number of array elements to be copied.
Throws:
IndexOutOfBoundsException - if copying would cause access of data outside array bounds.
ArrayStoreException - if an element in the src array could not be stored into the dest array because of a type mismatch.
NullPointerException - if either src or dest is null.

identityHashCode
public static int identityHashCode(Object x)
Returns the same hash code for the given object as would be returned by the default method hashCode(), whether or not the given object's class overrides hashCode(). The hash code for the null reference is zero.

Parameters:
x - object for which the hashCode is to be calculated
Returns:
the hashCode
Since:

JDK1.1

getProperties
public static Properties getProperties()
Determines the current system properties.
First, if there is a security manager, its checkPropertiesAccess method is called with no arguments. This may result in a security exception.
The current set of system properties for use by the getProperty(String) method is returned as a Properties object. If there is no current set of system properties, a set of system properties is first created and initialized. This set of system properties always includes values for the following keys:

Key Description of Associated Value

java.version Java Runtime Environment version

java.vendor Java Runtime Environment vendor

java.vendor.url Java vendor URL

java.home Java installation directory

java.vm.specification.version Java Virtual Machine specification version

java.vm.specification.vendor Java Virtual Machine specification vendor

java.vm.specification.name Java Virtual Machine specification name

java.vm.version Java Virtual Machine implementation version

java.vm.vendor Java Virtual Machine implementation vendor

java.vm.name Java Virtual Machine implementation name

java.specification.version Java Runtime Environment specification version

java.specification.vendor Java Runtime Environment specification vendor

java.specification.name Java Runtime Environment specification name

java.class.version Java class format version number

java.class.path Java class path

java.library.path List of paths to search when loading libraries

java.io.tmpdir Default temp file path

java.compiler Name of JIT compiler to use

java.ext.dirs Path of extension directory or directories

os.name Operating system name

os.arch Operating system architecture

os.version Operating system version

file.separator File separator ("/" on UNIX)

path.separator Path separator (":" on UNIX)

line.separator Line separator ("\n" on UNIX)

user.name User's account name

user.home User's home directory

user.dir User's current working directory

Multiple paths in a system property value are separated by the path separator character of the platform.
Note that even if the security manager does not permit the getProperties operation, it may choose to permit the getProperty(String) operation.

Returns:
the system properties
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkPropertiesAccess method doesn't allow access to the system properties.
See Also:
setProperties(java.util.Properties), SecurityException, SecurityManager.checkPropertiesAccess(), Properties

setProperties
public static void setProperties(Properties props)
Sets the system properties to the Properties argument.
First, if there is a security manager, its checkPropertiesAccess method is called with no arguments. This may result in a security exception.
The argument becomes the current set of system properties for use by the getProperty(String) method. If the argument is null, then the current set of system properties is forgotten.

Parameters:
props - the new system properties.
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkPropertiesAccess method doesn't allow access to the system properties.
See Also:
getProperties(), Properties, SecurityException, SecurityManager.checkPropertiesAccess()

getProperty
public static String getProperty(String key)
Gets the system property indicated by the specified key.
First, if there is a security manager, its checkPropertyAccess method is called with the key as its argument. This may result in a SecurityException.
If there is no current set of system properties, a set of system properties is first created and initialized in the same manner as for the getProperties method.

Parameters:
key - the name of the system property.
Returns:
the string value of the system property, or null if there is no property with that key.
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkPropertyAccess method doesn't allow access to the specified system property.
NullPointerException - if key is null.
IllegalArgumentException - if key is empty.
See Also:
setProperty(java.lang.String, java.lang.String), SecurityException, SecurityManager.checkPropertyAccess(java.lang.String), getProperties()

getProperty
public static String getProperty(String key,
                                 String def)
Gets the system property indicated by the specified key.
First, if there is a security manager, its checkPropertyAccess method is called with the key as its argument.
If there is no current set of system properties, a set of system properties is first created and initialized in the same manner as for the getProperties method.

Parameters:
key - the name of the system property.
def - a default value.
Returns:
the string value of the system property, or the default value if there is no property with that key.
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkPropertyAccess method doesn't allow access to the specified system property.
NullPointerException - if key is null.
IllegalArgumentException - if key is empty.
See Also:
setProperty(java.lang.String, java.lang.String), SecurityManager.checkPropertyAccess(java.lang.String), getProperties()

setProperty
public static String setProperty(String key,
                                 String value)
Sets the system property indicated by the specified key.
First, if a security manager exists, its SecurityManager.checkPermission method is called with a PropertyPermission(key, "write") permission. This may result in a SecurityException being thrown. If no exception is thrown, the specified property is set to the given value.

Parameters:
key - the name of the system property.
value - the value of the system property.
Returns:
the previous value of the system property, or null if it did not have one.
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkPermission method doesn't allow setting of the specified property.
NullPointerException - if key is null.
IllegalArgumentException - if key is empty.
Since:

1.2

See Also:
getProperty(java.lang.String), getProperty(java.lang.String), getProperty(java.lang.String, java.lang.String), PropertyPermission, SecurityManager.checkPermission(java.security.Permission)

getenv
public static String getenv(String name)
Deprecated. The preferred way to extract system-dependent information is the system properties of the java.lang.System.getProperty methods and the corresponding getTypeName methods of the Boolean, Integer, and Long primitive types. For example:
     String classPath = System.getProperty("java.class.path",".");
 

     if (Boolean.getBoolean("myapp.exper.mode"))
         enableExpertCommands();
 
Gets an environment variable. An environment variable is a system-dependent external variable that has a string value.

Parameters:
name - of the environment variable
Returns:
the value of the variable, or null if the variable is not defined.
See Also:
Boolean.getBoolean(java.lang.String), Integer.getInteger(java.lang.String), Integer.getInteger(java.lang.String, int), Integer.getInteger(java.lang.String, java.lang.Integer), Long.getLong(java.lang.String), Long.getLong(java.lang.String, long), Long.getLong(java.lang.String, java.lang.Long), getProperties(), getProperty(java.lang.String), getProperty(java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
exit
public static void exit(int status)
Terminates the currently running Java Virtual Machine. The argument serves as a status code; by convention, a nonzero status code indicates abnormal termination.
This method calls the exit method in class Runtime. This method never returns normally.
The call System.exit(n) is effectively equivalent to the call:
 Runtime.getRuntime().exit(n)
 
Parameters:
status - exit status.
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkExit method doesn't allow exit with the specified status.
See Also:
Runtime.exit(int)
gc
public static void gc()
Runs the garbage collector.
Calling the gc method suggests that the Java Virtual Machine expend effort toward recycling unused objects in order to make the memory they currently occupy available for quick reuse. When control returns from the method call, the Java Virtual Machine has made a best effort to reclaim space from all discarded objects.
The call System.gc() is effectively equivalent to the call:
 Runtime.getRuntime().gc()
 
See Also:
Runtime.gc()
runFinalization
public static void runFinalization()
Runs the finalization methods of any objects pending finalization.
Calling this method suggests that the Java Virtual Machine expend effort toward running the finalize methods of objects that have been found to be discarded but whose finalize methods have not yet been run. When control returns from the method call, the Java Virtual Machine has made a best effort to complete all outstanding finalizations.
The call System.runFinalization() is effectively equivalent to the call:
 Runtime.getRuntime().runFinalization()
 
See Also:
Runtime.runFinalization()
runFinalizersOnExit
public static void runFinalizersOnExit(boolean value)
Deprecated. This method is inherently unsafe. It may result in finalizers being called on live objects while other threads are concurrently manipulating those objects, resulting in erratic behavior or deadlock.

Enable or disable finalization on exit; doing so specifies that the finalizers of all objects that have finalizers that have not yet been automatically invoked are to be run before the Java runtime exits. By default, finalization on exit is disabled.
If there is a security manager, its checkExit method is first called with 0 as its argument to ensure the exit is allowed. This could result in a SecurityException.

Parameters:
value - indicating enabling or disabling of finalization
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkExit method doesn't allow the exit.
Since:

JDK1.1

See Also:
Runtime.exit(int), Runtime.gc(), SecurityManager.checkExit(int)

load
public static void load(String filename)
Loads a code file with the specified filename from the local file system as a dynamic library. The filename argument must be a complete path name.
The call System.load(name) is effectively equivalent to the call:
 Runtime.getRuntime().load(name)
 
Parameters:
filename - the file to load.
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkLink method doesn't allow loading of the specified dynamic library
UnsatisfiedLinkError - if the file does not exist.
See Also:
Runtime.load(java.lang.String), SecurityManager.checkLink(java.lang.String)
loadLibrary
public static void loadLibrary(String libname)
Loads the system library specified by the libname argument. The manner in which a library name is mapped to the actual system library is system dependent.
The call System.loadLibrary(name) is effectively equivalent to the call
 Runtime.getRuntime().loadLibrary(name)
 
Parameters:
libname - the name of the library.
Throws:
SecurityException - if a security manager exists and its checkLink method doesn't allow loading of the specified dynamic library
UnsatisfiedLinkError - if the library does not exist.
See Also:
Runtime.loadLibrary(java.lang.String), SecurityManager.checkLink(java.lang.String)
mapLibraryName
public static String mapLibraryName(String libname)
Maps a library name into a platform-specific string representing a native library.

Parameters:
libname - the name of the library.
Returns:
a platform-dependent native library name.
Since:

1.2

See Also:
loadLibrary(java.lang.String), ClassLoader.findLibrary(java.lang.String)

Method Summary
static void	arraycopy(Object src, int srcPos, Object dest, int destPos, int length) Copies an array from the specified source array, beginning at the specified position, to the specified position of the destination array.
static long	currentTimeMillis() Returns the current time in milliseconds.
static void	exit(int status) Terminates the currently running Java Virtual Machine.
static void	gc() Runs the garbage collector.
static String	getenv(String name) Deprecated. The preferred way to extract system-dependent information is the system properties of the java.lang.System.getProperty methods and the corresponding getTypeName methods of the Boolean, Integer, and Long primitive types. For example: String classPath = System.getProperty("java.class.path","."); if (Boolean.getBoolean("myapp.exper.mode")) enableExpertCommands();
static Properties	getProperties() Determines the current system properties.
static String	getProperty(String key) Gets the system property indicated by the specified key.
static String	getProperty(String key, String def) Gets the system property indicated by the specified key.
static SecurityManager	getSecurityManager() Gets the system security interface.
static int	identityHashCode(Object x) Returns the same hash code for the given object as would be returned by the default method hashCode(), whether or not the given object's class overrides hashCode().
static void	load(String filename) Loads a code file with the specified filename from the local file system as a dynamic library.
static void	loadLibrary(String libname) Loads the system library specified by the libname argument.
static String	mapLibraryName(String libname) Maps a library name into a platform-specific string representing a native library.
static void	runFinalization() Runs the finalization methods of any objects pending finalization.
static void	runFinalizersOnExit(boolean value) Deprecated. This method is inherently unsafe. It may result in finalizers being called on live objects while other threads are concurrently manipulating those objects, resulting in erratic behavior or deadlock.
static void	setErr(PrintStream err) Reassigns the "standard" error output stream.
static void	setIn(InputStream in) Reassigns the "standard" input stream.
static void	setOut(PrintStream out) Reassigns the "standard" output stream.
static void	setProperties(Properties props) Sets the system properties to the Properties argument.
static String	setProperty(String key, String value) Sets the system property indicated by the specified key.
static void	setSecurityManager(SecurityManager s) Sets the System security.

Key	Description of Associated Value
java.version	Java Runtime Environment version
java.vendor	Java Runtime Environment vendor
java.vendor.url	Java vendor URL
java.home	Java installation directory
java.vm.specification.version	Java Virtual Machine specification version
java.vm.specification.vendor	Java Virtual Machine specification vendor
java.vm.specification.name	Java Virtual Machine specification name
java.vm.version	Java Virtual Machine implementation version
java.vm.vendor	Java Virtual Machine implementation vendor
java.vm.name	Java Virtual Machine implementation name
java.specification.version	Java Runtime Environment specification version
java.specification.vendor	Java Runtime Environment specification vendor
java.specification.name	Java Runtime Environment specification name
java.class.version	Java class format version number
java.class.path	Java class path
java.library.path	List of paths to search when loading libraries
java.io.tmpdir	Default temp file path
java.compiler	Name of JIT compiler to use
java.ext.dirs	Path of extension directory or directories
os.name	Operating system name
os.arch	Operating system architecture
os.version	Operating system version
file.separator	File separator ("/" on UNIX)
path.separator	Path separator (":" on UNIX)
line.separator	Line separator ("\n" on UNIX)
user.name	User's account name
user.home	User's home directory
user.dir	User's current working directory

java.lang Class System

Field Summary

Method Summary

Field Detail

in

out

err

Method Detail

setIn

setOut

setErr

setSecurityManager

getSecurityManager

currentTimeMillis

arraycopy

identityHashCode

getProperties

setProperties

getProperty

getProperty

setProperty

getenv

exit

gc

runFinalization

runFinalizersOnExit

load

loadLibrary

mapLibraryName

java.lang
Class System