Caused by: java.io.IOException: CreateProcess error=2, The system cannot find the file specified Spring Batch

Question

I'm getting below error when trying delete tmp.txt file under C:\testing folder using SystemCommandTasklet of Spring Batch. My OS is windows 10. Any quick pointer what went wrong?

Error:

java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: java.io.IOException: Cannot run program "del" (in directory "C:\testing"): CreateProcess error=2, The system cannot find the file specified
    at java.base/java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.report(FutureTask.java:122) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.get(FutureTask.java:191) ~[na:na]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.SystemCommandTasklet.execute(SystemCommandTasklet.java:126) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.TaskletStep$ChunkTransactionCallback.doInTransaction(TaskletStep.java:407) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.TaskletStep$ChunkTransactionCallback.doInTransaction(TaskletStep.java:331) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.transaction.support.TransactionTemplate.execute(TransactionTemplate.java:140) ~[spring-tx-5.3.13.jar:5.3.13]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.TaskletStep$2.doInChunkContext(TaskletStep.java:273) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.scope.context.StepContextRepeatCallback.doInIteration(StepContextRepeatCallback.java:82) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.RepeatTemplate.getNextResult(RepeatTemplate.java:375) ~[spring-batch-infrastructure-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.RepeatTemplate.executeInternal(RepeatTemplate.java:215) ~[spring-batch-infrastructure-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.repeat.support.RepeatTemplate.iterate(RepeatTemplate.java:145) ~[spring-batch-infrastructure-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.TaskletStep.doExecute(TaskletStep.java:258) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.step.AbstractStep.execute(AbstractStep.java:208) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.job.SimpleStepHandler.handleStep(SimpleStepHandler.java:152) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.job.AbstractJob.handleStep(AbstractJob.java:413) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.job.SimpleJob.doExecute(SimpleJob.java:136) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.job.AbstractJob.execute(AbstractJob.java:320) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.launch.support.SimpleJobLauncher$1.run(SimpleJobLauncher.java:149) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.core.task.SyncTaskExecutor.execute(SyncTaskExecutor.java:50) ~[spring-core-5.3.13.jar:5.3.13]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.launch.support.SimpleJobLauncher.run(SimpleJobLauncher.java:140) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:64) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:564) ~[na:na]
    at org.springframework.aop.support.AopUtils.invokeJoinpointUsingReflection(AopUtils.java:344) ~[spring-aop-5.3.13.jar:5.3.13]
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.invokeJoinpoint(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:198) ~[spring-aop-5.3.13.jar:5.3.13]
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:163) ~[spring-aop-5.3.13.jar:5.3.13]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.configuration.annotation.SimpleBatchConfiguration$PassthruAdvice.invoke(SimpleBatchConfiguration.java:128) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:186) ~[spring-aop-5.3.13.jar:5.3.13]
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:215) ~[spring-aop-5.3.13.jar:5.3.13]
    at com.sun.proxy.$Proxy50.run(Unknown Source) ~[na:na]
    at org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.batch.JobLauncherApplicationRunner.execute(JobLauncherApplicationRunner.java:199) ~[spring-boot-autoconfigure-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.batch.JobLauncherApplicationRunner.executeLocalJobs(JobLauncherApplicationRunner.java:173) ~[spring-boot-autoconfigure-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.batch.JobLauncherApplicationRunner.launchJobFromProperties(JobLauncherApplicationRunner.java:160) ~[spring-boot-autoconfigure-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.batch.JobLauncherApplicationRunner.run(JobLauncherApplicationRunner.java:155) ~[spring-boot-autoconfigure-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.batch.JobLauncherApplicationRunner.run(JobLauncherApplicationRunner.java:150) ~[spring-boot-autoconfigure-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.callRunner(SpringApplication.java:758) ~[spring-boot-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.callRunners(SpringApplication.java:748) ~[spring-boot-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:309) ~[spring-boot-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1301) ~[spring-boot-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1290) ~[spring-boot-2.6.1.jar:2.6.1]
    at com.example.SystemCommandJobApplication.main(SystemCommandJobApplication.java:48) ~[classes/:na]
Caused by: java.io.IOException: Cannot run program "del" (in directory "C:\testing"): CreateProcess error=2, The system cannot find the file specified
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(ProcessBuilder.java:1142) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(ProcessBuilder.java:1073) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.Runtime.exec(Runtime.java:591) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.Runtime.exec(Runtime.java:415) ~[na:na]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.SystemCommandTasklet$1.call(SystemCommandTasklet.java:103) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at org.springframework.batch.core.step.tasklet.SystemCommandTasklet$1.call(SystemCommandTasklet.java:99) ~[spring-batch-core-4.3.4.jar:4.3.4]
    at java.base/java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:264) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:832) ~[na:na]
Caused by: java.io.IOException: CreateProcess error=2, The system cannot find the file specified
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessImpl.create(Native Method) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessImpl.<init>(ProcessImpl.java:483) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessImpl.start(ProcessImpl.java:158) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(ProcessBuilder.java:1109) ~[na:na]
    ... 7 common frames omitted

SystemCommandJobApplication.java

@SpringBootApplication
@EnableBatchProcessing
public class SystemCommandJobApplication {
    @Autowired
    private JobBuilderFactory jobBuilderFactory;

    @Autowired
    private StepBuilderFactory stepBuilderFactory;
    @Bean
    public Job job() {
        return this.jobBuilderFactory.get("systemCommandJob")
                .start(systemCommandStep())
                .build();
    }

    @Bean
    public Step systemCommandStep() {
        return this.stepBuilderFactory.get("systemCommandStep")
                .tasklet(systemCommandTasklet())
                .build();
    }

    @Bean
    public SystemCommandTasklet systemCommandTasklet() {
        SystemCommandTasklet systemCommandTasklet = new SystemCommandTasklet();
        systemCommandTasklet.setWorkingDirectory("C:/testing");
//      systemCommandTasklet.setCommand("rm -rf tmp.txt"); // Unix
        systemCommandTasklet.setCommand("del tmp.txt"); // Windows
        systemCommandTasklet.setTimeout(5000);
        systemCommandTasklet.setInterruptOnCancel(true);
        return systemCommandTasklet;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(SystemCommandJobApplication.class, args);
    }
}

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure that the message "can't find the file specified" is referring to "del" in the attempt to execute that command, not the "del" command's attempt to delete the file.

I'm also pretty sure that despite the possibly misleading name "SystemCommandTasklet", you cannot execute a "built-in" command like "del".

It's looking for an executable on the path, and "del" is not an exe - it's built into cmd.exe.

The easiest way to solve this is probably to create a batch file that does the delete, and execute that, passing it the name of the file to delete.

The (commented out) 'Unix' version of your command will probably work, given the correct path, as 'rm' is an actual executable file. In Debian systems, for example, it's in /bin/rm