ClassCastException Error

Split those bits up and test it.

The class defined by "settingsClass" does not extend or implement "Settings"

Try

System.out.println( settingsClass ) ;

before you do the Class.forName

I reckon it's "null"

The nature of the exception indicates that the forName method is picking up a class, then newInstance is creating an instance of it, but it isn't a class of type Settings, so when it tries to cast it to a class of that type, it throws an exception.

I'm guessing that you are expecting it to be a class of type Settings. If so, perhaps you could print out the string you are getting from the getInitParameter call (System.out.println("class name: "+settingsClass);), and post the code (at least the class definition and the constructor) of the class you are trying to load.

The three musketeers strike again  :)

:-D

>>I reckon it's "null"

So do I

I try to print out the settingsClass and it's not null.
It returns settingsClass=com.goals.Site, so I guess when I try to cast it to Settings it gives me the ClassExceptionError.

Below is the code for the Settings class:
public interface Settings {
public Site getSite(Hashtable initParams) throws Exception;      
}

So what is the way to get around this?
Thanks!

package com.goals ;

public class Site implements Settings

make sure it implements "Settings" :-)

T's always a good idea to type-check anyway

Object o = Class.forName(settingsClass).newInstance();
if (o instanceof Settings) {
     Settings s = (Settings)o;
}

else {
    log.fatal( o + " IS NOT A SETTINGS OBJECT!" ) ;
}

It is implementing Settings

>>does "Site" have an empty constructor?

Must have, or couldn't be non-null ;-) (according to eric)

Please, for the benefit of others, explain what the solution to the problem was eric