Thread: Third party application utilizing Java portion of registry and environmental variable

Hello All,
I have a interesting question and hopefully it is has simple solution. We are getting ready to deploy an application to the Enterprise here. This application requires Java and well the application also uses the HKLM\Software\JavaSoft\Prefs key to store its configuration/preferences. Now I know Java reads things differently than windows so to speak. For Example:

In the Windows registry if I was going to store a Server name under the Javasoft\Prefs key it would be as follows

Type=RegSz
ValueName=ServerName
Data= /S/E/R/V/E/R-1

One of the values we are trying to store requires a value that is a filepath. The filepath we would like to use is basically a subfolder under the User's my documents folder so lets call it User1\My Documents\Application1

So again my understanding is that it would be
Type=RegSz
ValueName=App1FilePath
Data=//C://Users/User1/My /Documents/Application1

I am able to set this value in a msi/mst. However and here is where my question is I really do not want to hardcode to drive letter. I would prefer to use a Java Environmental Variable that basically would set to the current user without hardcoding drive letter or user with the rest being:

??This would be EnvVar?? /My /Documents/Application1/Temp

Is there a way to do this or am I stuck hardcoding to drive letter and user.

System.getProperty("user.dir"));

I would rather use an environmental variable also....

Let me try to make this a little clearer...


So currently in the registry I have a regsz entry that goes like this:

temp value=/C:///Users//user01///My /Documents///Applicationname///temp

Okay now instead of what's above I would like to use something like:

Javaenvironmentalvariable(Users)+//Javaenvironmentalvariable(currentuser)///My /Documents///Applicationname///temp

now if one variable will cover the current user in windows thats fine two

unless i am misunderstanding the first poster and he is telling me to use something like

///user.dir//My /Documents///Applicationname///temp

Norm all this is, is a string value for a registry storing a filepath location. The default by the program sets it to /C:///Users//user01///My /Documents///Applicationname///Temp
I just want to get away from hardcoding it. I can hardcode it in the registry to the network drive letter they are currently using. I just hate to do that. I was hoping there was a standard java environmental variable for basically C:\Users\CurrentUserName\ so basically the registry entry would be Variable///My /Documents///Applicationname///Temp

No it doesn't your correct. Howevery my understanding is that java doesn't read the registry the same as windows does

so for example in windows
I can use %USERNAME% well Java doesnt understand that

If I set a filepath in the windows registry it will usually use the following pattern

app1tempfolder regsz c:\Users\user01\My Documents\App1\Temp

Well Java doesn't understand that so it would be transformed to

app1tempfolder regsz /C:///Users//user01///My /Documents/App1/Temp

thats fine but what I am looking to do is basically wildcard the /C:///Users//user01 that would apply to whoever the current user is and that Java can read and understand.

While the app itself is not Java it relies on Java's JavaSoft/Prefs key to hold and store configuration information

No I am going to test here in a couple

Perhaps your request is blocked by security.
This link may help