I was wondering if using:
System.getProperty("user.dir"); to get the absolute path of a folder is the best way to go about it? I am looking to pass my application onto other computers and I need a full proof way of getting the 'home' directory so that I can just add onto the path when I need to use other folders by just doing:
String path = System.getProperty("user.dir"); String otherFolder = path + "\\other"; way of getting home directory of current user is
String currentUsersHomeDir = System.getProperty("user.home"); and to append path separator
String otherFolder = currentUsersHomeDir + File.separator + "other"; The system-dependent default name-separator character, represented as a string for convenience. This string contains a single character, namely separatorChar.
"user.dir" is the current working directory, not the home directory It is all described here.
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/essential/environment/sysprop.html
Also, by using \\ instead of File.separator, you will lose portability with *nix system which uses / for file separator.
Program to get the current working directory=user.dir
public class CurrentDirectoryExample { public static void main(String args[]) { String current = System.getProperty("user.dir"); System.out.println("Current working directory in Java : " + current); } } 
user.diris the current directory. The "absolute path" of aFileobject is obtained bygetAbsolutePath().System.getProperty("user.dir")is not way to get the home directory at all, it is the way to get the current working directory. -1 for causing yourself confusion.