To start Policy Tool, simply type the following at the command line.

policytool

This brings up the "Policy Tool" window.

Whenever Policy Tool is started, it tries to fill in this window with policy information from what is sometimes referred to as the "user policy file". The user policy file is by default a file named .java.policy in your home directory. If Policy Tool cannot find the user policy file, it reports the situation and displays a blank "Policy Tool" window (that is, a window with headings and buttons but no data in it).

You can then proceed to either open whatever policy file you want to work on or create a new policy file, by adding policy entries, optionally specifying a keystore, and saving the file).

The first time you run the Policy Tool, there will not be a user policy file (unless you created one manually).

To create a new policy file, start by simply selecting the New command from the File menu. This will close the currently open policy file (if any, after first prompting you to save it if needed) and bring up a new policy tool window, that is, a window with headings and buttons but no data in it.

Please Note: this is not necessary the first time you run the Policy Tool. Since the tool tries to open the user policy file and one doesn't exist yet (unless it was created manually), the tool will bring up a window without any data in it.

Once you have a new policy tool window, you can then create the policy entries, and specify the keystore (if any of the policy entries specify a keystore alias). At any point, you can save the policy file.

To work on a different policy file than the one currently being worked on (if any), use the Open command in the File menu.

This will close the currently open policy file (if any, after first prompting you to save it if needed) and will present you with an Open dialog, which you can use to navigate the directory structure until you get to the directory containing the policy file you want to work on. Select that file, then select the OK button.

The "Policy Tool" window will then be filled in with information from the policy file, including the policy file name, the keystore URL (if any), and the CodeBase, SignedBy and Principal parts of each policy entry in the policy file.

To specify the keystore containing the key information for the aliases specified in the SignedBy parts of policy entries, select the Change Keystore command in the Edit menu.

This brings up a dialog box in which you specify the new keystore URL and optionally the keystore type.

As an example, to specify the keystore named "mykeystore" in the /tests/ directory, type the following file: URL into the text box labeled "New KeyStore URL".

file:/tests/mykeystore

To also specify that the keystore type is "JKS" (the proprietary keystore type supported by Sun Microsystems), type the following into the text box labeled "New KeyStore Type".

JKS

When you are done specifying the keystore URL and type (if any), select OK (or you can select Cancel to cancel the operation). If you didn't cancel, the text box labeled "Keystore:" is now filled in with the keystore URL and type.

To add a new policy entry, select the Add Policy Entry button in the main "Policy Tool" window. This brings up a "Policy Entry" dialog box.

Using this dialog box, you specify

•

an optional CodeBase entry indicating the URL location where the code originates from. For example, to indicate code from the local /JavaSoft/TESTS/ directory, type the following file URL into the CodeBase text box:

file:/JavaSoft/TESTS

•

an optional SignedBy entry indicating the alias name from the keystore used to reference the signer whose private key was used to sign the code. For example, to indicate the alias named "duke", simply type the following into the SignedBy text box:

duke

•

an optional Principals entry indicating the list of principals that the code has to be executed as in order for the permission(s) to be granted. See Adding a New Principal.

•

one or more permission entries indicating which permissions are granted to the code from the source indicated by the CodeBase and SignedBy values (or to any code if no such values are specified) when running as the specified principals in the Principals list. See Adding a New Permission.

To edit an existing policy entry, select the line for that entry in the main "Policy Tool" window, then select the Edit Policy Entry button. Alternatively, you can simply double-click the line for that entry.

This brings up the same type of "Policy Entry" dialog box as appears when you are adding a new policy entry, except in this case the dialog box is filled in with the existing policy entry information. To change the information, simply retype it (for the CodeBase and SignedBy values) or use the buttons (for the Principals and Permissions values).

When you are done, select the Done button (or Cancel to cancel).

To delete a policy entry from the policy file, select the line for that entry in the main "Policy Tool" window, then select the Remove Policy Entry button.

The complete policy entry is displayed, and you can then either select OK to remove the entry, or Cancel to keep it.

To save changes to an existing policy file, simply select the Save command in the File menu.

To save a new policy file you've been creating, or to copy an existing policy file to a new policy file with a different name, select the Save As command from the File menu. This brings up the Save As dialog box.

Navigate the directory structure to get to the directory in which you want to save the policy file. Type the desired file name, then select the OK button. The policy file is now saved, and its name and path are shown in the text box labeled "Policy File:"

To exit Policy Tool, select the Exit command from the File menu.

If Policy Tool ever reports that warnings have been stored in the Warning Log, you can view the log by selecting the View Warning Log command in the Edit menu.

For example, if you have a policy file with a Keystore URL specifying a keystore that doesn't yet exist, you will get such a warning at various times, e.g., when you open the file. You can continue to work on the policy file even if warnings exist.