title: Apache Tomcat Servlet - Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ClassFormatError
body: <p>I am trying to run a java.class file in Apache Tomcat server. I build using Maven. </p>
  
  <p>I use the following command:</p>
  
  <pre><code>/usr/lib/jvm/java-1.7.0-openjdk-1.7.0.25.x86_64/jre/bin/java -cp ".:/var/lib/tomcat6/webapps/my-servlet/WEB-INF/lib/*:/var/lib/tomcat6/webapps/my-servlet/WEB-INF/classes" com.myservlet.helper.MyClassFile
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Here is the error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ClassFormatError: Absent Code attribute in method that is not native or abstract in class file javax/servlet/ServletException
      at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
      at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:792)
      at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:142)
      at java.net.URLClassLoader.defineClass(URLClassLoader.java:449)
      at java.net.URLClassLoader.access$100(URLClassLoader.java:71)
      at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:361)
      at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java:355)
      at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
      at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.java:354)
      at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:424)
      at sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader.loadClass(Launcher.java:308)
      at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:357)
      at java.lang.Class.getDeclaredMethods0(Native Method)
      at java.lang.Class.privateGetDeclaredMethods(Class.java:2511)
      at java.lang.Class.getMethod0(Class.java:2754)
      at java.lang.Class.getMethod(Class.java:1657)
      at sun.launcher.LauncherHelper.getMainMethod(LauncherHelper.java:494)
      at sun.launcher.LauncherHelper.checkAndLoadMain(LauncherHelper.java:486)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>And my Java version:</p>
  
  <pre><code>java version "1.8.0_40"  
  Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_40-b25)  
  Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.40-b25, mixed mode)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I have read several threads about this error, but so far I have had no success solving this. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!</p>