What is meant by classpath in Java and how does it function?

Classpath in Java is the path used by the JVM and the compiler to locate classes and resources for loading during program execution.

It can include:

• Directories with compiled classes (.class)
• JAR files
• ZIP archives

The classpath can be set:

• Via the command line parameter -classpath or -cp when launching a Java program
• Via the environment variable CLASSPATH

If a class is not found in the specified classpath, the JVM will throw a ClassNotFoundException.

Example of launching with a specified classpath:

java -cp "libs/*:bin" com.example.Main

Here, the JVM will first look for classes in the bin folder, then in all JAR files in the libs folder.