classpath problems with jar files

okay, i have an odd problem... and maybe it's platform-specific... but i
figure give it a shot and ask about it in case someone has seen this.

i have an application that is made up of numerous class files. this
application at one point loads a class from another company using the
command Class.forName(. ..).

when i compile the .java files to bytecode and execute from the main()
entry point, it works fine.

than i create a jar file, and include a manifest line to point to the
class containing the main() entry point. then i execute the jar file
(java -jar jarfile).

the program starts running fine, but throws a class not found exception
when it hits the Class.forName() line.

everything else is the same... same classpath setting, and the other class
files haven't moved (the other classes are in fact in a jar file which is
included in the classpath).

so to sum it up... app works fine when not in jar file. jar it up, and
run with everything else the same... cannot load some external classes.

now, i am running jdk1.4.1 on mac os x.

any thoughts?

murat

--
Murat Tasan
[email protected] u
[email protected] .edu
murat.tasan@cwr u.edu