FIGURE A

Be sure to modifyt the properties appropriately, as we show in this example. Click picture for a larger image.

IMPORTANT: Don't double-click the icon or you'll get an error similar to that shown in Figure B.

FIGURE B

Drag-and-drop works, but don't double-click or bad things will happen. Click picture for a larger image.

I found that this method works best if you keep your workspaces in one directory and then create a shortcut to the directory that you keep right next to the modified WebSphere Studio shortcut. That way, you can click on the shortcut for the workspace directory and then drag-and-drop the workspace you want onto the icon. I still don't find this method quite as efficient, though, as having WebSphere Studio prompt me for the workspace to use when starting up.

The third way to launch WebSphere Studio and choose a workspace is to use the command line. This is definitely the least user friendly of all of the options, although it probably comes in handy for people using WebSphere Studio on Linux. I haven't tested this option extensively so am not going to write about it today, but wanted to let you know it exists. If you have used this option extensively and have some advice on how to use it, send me an email at dvelasco@webspherepower.com and I'll try to include it in a future tip.

Keeping your different WebSphere workspace worlds separate from each other is definitely a powerful way to work on multiple projects or with multiple companies. If only the other parts of your life were so easy to contain.

Dan Velasco is a Senior Technical Editor for WebSpherePower Magazine and DominoPower Magazine. He's a Sun Certified Java Programmer, Sun Certified Web Component Developer and an IBM Certified Solution Developer for WebSphere Studio V5.0. He's also a Principal CLP Application Developer (R4, R5 and ND6) as well as a CLP System Administrator (R4 and R5). You can reach him via email at dvelasco@webspherepower.com or on the Web at http://DanVelasco.com.