Boolean.getBoolean() Vs System.getenv() in Java

Question

Boolean.getBoolean("myvariable"); // where myvariable has been defined in the
                                  // Environment variable as Variable name:
                                  // myvariable
                                  // and Variable Value:true

The above call gives me output as false. If I use

 System.getenv("myvariable") ; 

then it gives me output as true.

I am wondering why Boolean.getBoolean("myvariable") is not working.

Answer 1

System.getenv returns an environment variable. That's not the same thing as System.getProperty which returns a Java system property.

Boolean.getBoolean uses the latter call, as documented:

Returns true if and only if the system property named by the argument exists and is equal to the string "true". [...] A system property is accessible through getProperty, a method defined by the System class.

Answer 2

Boolean.getBoolean("myvariable"); looks for a System Property called myvariable whereas System.getenv("myvariable"); looks for an environment variable. Though similar, they're not the same.