# Setting execution arguments

If you want to specify execution arguments for your program, you must define a launch configuration that specifies the arguments.

1. Select Run > Run Configurations... or Run > Debug Configurations... from the workbench Run menu to open the list of launch configurations. Launch configurations for Java programs are shown underneath Java Application in this list.
2. Select an existing configuration or create a new launch configuration by pushing the New button after selecting Java Application.
3. On the Arguments tab for the configuration, you can specify the following fields as necessary:
   - Program Arguments: Application-specific values that your code is expecting (a user name or a URL for locating help files, for example).
   - VM Arguments: Values meant to change the behavior of the Java virtual machine (VM). For example, you may need to tell the VM whether to use a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, or you may need to specify the maximum heap size the VM should use. Refer to your VM's documentation for more information about the available VM arguments.
   - Other options: This allows to set the option -XX:+ShowCodeDetailsInExceptionMessages when the checkbox is checked. This is selected by default for a launch configuration using Java 14 and above.
   - @argfile: When the list of application-specific and VM arguments become very long this checkbox can be checked. All arguments will then be written into a file and the file is passed to the VM as single argument. This is only supported for a launch configuration using Java 9 and above.
   - Working Directory: The working directory used for the launched process. To change from using the default working directory, select Other and specify the workspace or local directory to use for the working directory of the launched process.
4. Click Apply or Close when you are done. Every time you launch this configuration, these execution arguments will be used.

### Related tasks

Creating a Java Application launch configuration
Launching a Java program