Cannot load driver class: org.h2.driver

When encountering the error message “cannot load driver class: org.h2.driver”, it means that the JDBC driver class for H2 database (org.h2.Driver) is not found or not properly configured.

To resolve this issue, you need to make sure that the H2 JDBC driver is included in your project’s dependencies and properly configured.

Step 1: Include H2 JDBC Driver in Your Project

First, you need to ensure that the H2 JDBC driver is included in your project’s classpath. There are several ways to achieve this:

• If you are using a build tool like Maven, you can add the H2 driver dependency in your project’s pom.xml file:

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.h2database</groupId>
  <artifactId>h2</artifactId>
  <version>YOUR_H2_VERSION</version>
</dependency>

• If you are not using a build tool, you can manually download the H2 JDBC driver JAR file from the official website (http://www.h2database.com/html/main.html) and add it to your project’s classpath.

Step 2: Verify the JDBC URL and Driver Class Name

Next, you need to make sure that you are using the correct JDBC URL and driver class name for connecting to the H2 database.

The JDBC URL typically follows this format:

jdbc:h2:file:/path/to/database

Replace “/path/to/database” with the actual path and name of your H2 database file.

Also, ensure that you are using the correct driver class name “org.h2.Driver”. Note that the “D” in “Driver” is capitalized.

Step 3: Check Database Connection Code

Verify that your code for establishing a database connection is correct. Here is an example code snippet for connecting to an H2 database:

// Import the required libraries
import java.sql.Connection;
import java.sql.DriverManager;
import java.sql.SQLException;

public class H2DatabaseExample {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // JDBC database URL
    String url = "jdbc:h2:file:/path/to/database";
    
    // Database credentials
    String username = "your_username";
    String password = "your_password";
    
    // Establish a database connection
    try {
      Class.forName("org.h2.Driver"); // Load the H2 JDBC driver class
      Connection connection = DriverManager.getConnection(url, username, password);
      
      // Use the connection object for further database operations
      
      connection.close(); // Close the connection
    } catch (ClassNotFoundException | SQLException e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Run the Program

Save your code and run the program. If your code is correct and the H2 JDBC driver is properly configured, the error message “cannot load driver class: org.h2.driver” should no longer appear.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the error and successfully connect to an H2 database using JDBC.