Question

I have a directory tree with several java files. Example:

top
 |-- src1
 |    |--- folder A
 |    |--- folder B
 |-- src2
 |    |--- folder A
 |    |--- folder B
...

I want to compile all the files in those folders and move the compiled files to folder A-binor folder B-bin accordingly in the respective src folder. I have read that I can do this with the xargs utility, but I can’t make heads or tails from the manual entry.

Can some one point me a way?

Answer 1

Are you obliged to use xargs to compile these?

Why not take a look at java Makefiles?
They will make your life easier when building a project.

Also, one more advice, i recommend that you take look into Apache Maven. Easy to use, and very handful when your java project get bigger in time.
Here is a quick guide to Maven.

Basic Makefile:

JC=javac
JR=java

build: ref.java
        $(JC) ref.java

run: ref.class
        $(JR) ref

clean:
        rm -f *.class

Another example: (taken from the guide above)

JFLAGS = -g
JC = javac
.SUFFIXES: .java .class
.java.class:
        $(JC) $(JFLAGS) $*.java

CLASSES = \
        Foo.java \
        Blah.java \
        Library.java \
        Main.java 

default: classes

classes: $(CLASSES:.java=.class)

clean:
        $(RM) *.class