javac

Compile a Java file

$ javac [File.java]

$ javac [File1.java] [File2.java]

$ javac *.java

$ javac -cp [lib/*:classes] [File.java]

$ javac -d [out] [File.java]

$ javac --release [11] [File.java]

$ javac -Xlint:all [File.java]

$ javac -verbose [File.java]

javac [OPTIONS] SOURCE-FILES
javac [OPTIONS] @ARGFILE

javac compiles Java source files (.java) into bytecode class files (.class) that run on the Java Virtual Machine. It performs syntax and type checking, optimizes code, and generates platform-independent bytecode.
The compiler uses the classpath to locate referenced classes and libraries. For modular projects (Java 9+), the module path specifies module locations. The --release flag ensures compatibility with a specific Java version for both compilation and available APIs.
When compiling many files, use @argfiles to avoid command-line length limits. Each line in the argfile can contain a source file or option.

-d DIR

Output directory for compiled class files.

Classpath for finding user class files and libraries.

Module path for finding application modules.

Path for finding source files.

Compile for specific Java SE release.

Source code compatibility version.

Generate class files for specific VM version.

Enable warnings (all, deprecation, unchecked, etc.).

Include debugging information.

Output messages about what the compiler is doing.

Show description of deprecated API usage.

Source file character encoding.

Generate native header files for JNI.

Read options and filenames from file.

JAVA_HOME

Environment variable pointing to the JDK installation directory.

Environment variable specifying default class search paths for compilation.

Source and class files must match Java package structure with directory paths. Circular dependencies between source files require all files to be compiled together. The classpath separator is : on Unix and ; on Windows.

javac has been part of the Java Development Kit since Java 1.0 in 1996. The compiler has evolved significantly, adding generics (Java 5), modules (Java 9), and numerous language features. Modern versions support incremental compilation and annotation processing.

java(1), jar(1), javadoc(1), jdb(1)