>       My class path as is
> 
>   C:\Program 
> Files\Altova\xmlspy\XMLSpyInterface.jar;C:\Program 
> Files\Java\jdk1.5.0_02\bin;C:\saxon84
> 
>   Is there a syntax error ?

No, but if saxon8.jar is in c:\saxon84, then saxon8.jar isn't on your
classpath. The JAR file itself (not the directory containing it) needs to be
on the classpath.
> 
> Using an example from Mike's excellent book
> 
> C:\Program Files\jEdit 4.3pre2> java -jar 
> C:\saxon84\saxon8.jar  D:\seipas\OOSAD\SaxonNet\othello.xml 
> D:\seipas\OOSAD\SaxonNet\wordCount.xsl
> 
> Works perfectly
> 
> 
> C:\Program Files\jEdit 4.3pre2> java -jar saxon8.jar  
> D:\seipas\OOSAD\SaxonNet\othello.xml 
> D:\seipas\OOSAD\SaxonNet\wordCount.xsl
> 
> Gives Error
> Unable to access jarfile saxon8.jar
> Process java exited with code 1

That's because saxon8.jar isn't in your current directory.
> 
> OR
> C:\Program Files\jEdit 4.3pre2> java  net.sf.saxon.Transform  
> D:\seipas\OOSAD\SaxonNet\othello.xml  
> D:\seipas\OOSAD\SaxonNet\wordCount.xsl
> 
> Gives Error
> java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: net/sf/saxon/Transform
> Exception in thread "main" Process java exited with code 1
> 

That's because saxon8.jar isn't on your classpath.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/