How to use PATH environment variable in Unix ?

What is the purpose of PATH? And how it can help Us ?

Consider that you want to export the executable  resides inside Oracle JDK’s binary directory like java, jmap,  jhat, jstack , etc …!

List of JDK’s binary Executable:

If you want to use this executable utilities then you need to navigate into this directory and run it like a normal shell scripts, like following:

[thiru@localhost ~]$ ./java

[thiru@localhost ~]$ ./jmap

In order to avoid this repetitive daunting task, we are going to export our Java binary executable directory to PATH.

How to implement this PATH concept in your Machine ?

[thiru@localhost ~]$ export PATH=/optional/Oracle/Middleware/jdk1.6.0_26/bin:$PATH

But this kind of exporting would only lost for this session, to make this as a permanent, include this command to .bash_profile of your unix user account.

Content of .bash_profile after PATH inclusion:

What are the steps involved ?

1] In most number of unix machines the default JAVA HOME would be /usr/bin/java.You can find out that using which command.

2] Once checking completed execute the edited .bash_profile using source(Read and Execute  commands from file) command.

3] Use which command once again to know the new JAVA HOME which is assigned by us.

Steps Involved:

I hope that this can help someone, post if you have any queries or suggestions.

References:

1] http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/unix-source-command/