Can Netbeans put a jar file In a jar file?

Question

I just went through the process of getting Eclipse to create a jar file that would execute from a command prompt using a plugin called fatjar :
http://fjep.sourceforge.net/
Details from other thread :http://forum.java.sun.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5219638&tstart=0
I really would like to use netbeans but i now have the exact same problem trying to make a jar file in netbeans 5.5.1
I am using a package from icaste.com It has a
.dll file to put in the windows directory
JCommSerial_3_0.jar file that contains all the classes
I can compile and run a file in the IDE and it works fine
The Jar file does not contain the classes so i get errors when running from command line.
Here is the layout of my screen and result of run command in IDE
http://www.acousticlights.com/netbeans.png
What do I need to try?

Answer 1

georgemc wrote:
Why is everyone so obsessed with doing this? The gains are minimal and the problems numerousBecause we are new and don't understand how the java VM actually runs code and the error messages sent by the java machine are cryptic.
My first attempt at using an external jar in a java program lead me to believe that all of the code for a java program would be in a jar file including external jar files, after all the JDK standard library has tons of jars in it so I assumed the external jar file would be linked (as most other programming compiler/linkers I have worked with in my top down programming life).
I find out the answer is so simple that the external jar file could not be found by the VM running my jar file. Like I said, if the VM would have just gave me an error that it could not find a file on a specific directory i never would have perused the idea of jar in a jar (fatjar plugin for Eclipse for example)
Really this is like getting into a race car and not knowing at what RPM to shift gears, sure you can press the pedal and make it go but if you don't understand how it works under the hood you are going to blow the engine if you keep it in first gear.
I have read many posts on these errors, the reason is the error message is just not very descriptive of the original problem. If I try and open a database called xyz.dbf that has one field defined as lastname, in C for example, I would not give the error message "Lastname could not be found) when indeed the lastname could not be found but the reason it could not be found was because the database xyz.dbf could not be found. Further , adding to the error message that the system is looking for xyz.dbf on drive X- subdirectory -mydatabases would complete the error message and allow the user to fix the error. Just what is a non java programmer that is using my java program suppose to do with an Ecception Error in (main) bla bla bla... I know now I need to check for library files myself within my own java programs and give a better error message to the user before the java VM sends out it's cryptic message.
Edited by: metron9 on Sep 25, 2007 11:00 AM