Executable JAR file and subdirectories, locale...

Hi:
I have created an executable jar file. In my program, I have to display an icon in which I stored in a subdirectory. This subdirectory is also archived into the jar file. However, as the application runs, it can't find the icon! I have to seperately create a subdirectory (with the same name and structure as the archived directory) for my program to display the icon properly! Does anybody know how I can use the archived subdirectory directly?
Also, the executable jar file has a problem of using the proper locale... Does anyone know how to get around this?
Thanx in advance for helping me out = )

Thanx! It worked!
Does anyone know the answer to my second problem, namely, using the correct locale to display characters? When I run the application on the unarchived class file it works fine. However, when I run the application double-clicking the executable jar file icon, the characters are displayed incorrectly, which I assume to be problem with the locale...

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Executable jar files and manifest file

Hi,
I have the following files in a folder named: Test
a.jar
b.jar
c.jar
Driver.class
Driver.mf
Here, MainClass is the main executable class that uses a,band c.jar files. This is how my MainClass.mf file looks:
Manifest-Version: 1.0
Main-Class: Driver
Class-Path: a.jar b.jar c.jar
Now I use the following command to make one executable jar file:
jar cmf Driver.mf DriverMain.jar *
It creates an executable jar file named : DriverMain.jar
Now I copy the executable jar file (DriverMain.jar) into a different folder named: RunTest
and double click it, doesn't work.
my question is:
what am I doing wrong? Any special characters needed in my Driver.mf file (space/newline/etc)?
What I am trying to get is: One execuatble jar file so I can just double click to run it, and that single executable jar file will have all the necessary jars in it (i.e. a.jar, b.jar, c.jar in this case)
Anyone please help!
Thanks
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Rony,
Sorry to disappoint, but you can not use embeded jar/zip files within an executable jar. The JDK sadly for some reason decided this was not a useful idea, so developers like me who want to distribute plugins with thier own dependencies have one of two choices. You either have to unzip the jar file that contains the embeded jars to a directory, then run your primary exectuable jar, OR you have to write a custom classloader that your "launcher" creates then loads the embeded jar files.
The best thing to do is either jar up a, b, c and driver into one jar, so that it works, if you can legally do this. A lot of 3rd party libraries may not allow this per their license. Otherwise, another choice is to use a free installer or buy an installer that allows you to distribute a single exectuable installer program that will properly create the dir structure you need.
As for the way it works, if you declare:
Class-Path: a.jar b.jar c.jar
the JAR loader code in the JDK looks in the root dir where your application was started for a/b/c jar files. They have to be on disk.
If you want to place them in /lib, for example, you would havd a jar file like:
Driver.class
Driver.mf
lib/a.jar
lib/b.jar
lib/c.jar
When unzipped, your "root" dir would look exactly like the above, and your manifest would have Class-Path using ./lib/a.jar ./lib/b.jar ./lib/c.jar
Anyway, there thus far isn't any way around this issue of embeding jar files in an executable jar file. You MIGHT be able to not specify any classpath, then in your Driver.class, create a new custom classloader that dervies from URLClassLoader, but in the findClass(), you get a ref to the .jar file that the classloader class is inside of, and from that use it to find the lib/*.jar files and add them to the classpath. For this to work, however, your Driver.class code should ALSO be contained in an embeded jar file that is loaded by this custom loader. The only thing Driver.class would contain (and I would rename it to something like Launcher) is the code to create the custom classloader.
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Command line
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update META-INF/MANIFEST.MF file in jar file with;
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Executable Jar files with Oracle drivers and Oracle classes

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Deploying Java Desktop App using executable JAR files

Hi there.
Today I am very optimistic about java. I am a beginner, and I had tried (in my few free time) to understand how to deploy java desktop apps.
I am using the lattest NetBeans IDE to do the programming and it is very very fast and optimized.
Going to the point, I tried some time ago to deploy an application (made with this IDE) using JAR files, but even though the application run well on my IDE, when I packed it, it rised an error saying that
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I used the automated Jar Recipe Packaging feature of netbeans, that is why I needed to mount the AbsoluteLayout.jar file into my file systems.
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JN

Well,
I will take some time here to show the basic source code and procedure to create a desktop application, pack it up in a Jar file for deployment, add other classes or jars to the deployment jar file and finally open the jar file as an executable. This applies for either windows and linux environments.
Take in count i am using Netbeans IDE 3.x (3.5)
First I open the IDE and create a new project called MyDesktopApp. This is done by going to the menu Project / Project Manager. Then click on the New button and specify the project name and click on OK.
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To mount the directory you follow these steps:
1. Right-click on File Systems
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3. In the filechooser window, you just browse it and SELECT the directory to mount. Be aware that you can even create the directory on this window. Do not enter (double-click) into the directory you want to mount, just select it and click on finish...
4.Then the directory entry appears under the filesystems node of the project explorer.
Now you have to create your application. You can either create a package (special configured and tracked directory) or you can create the clases directly inside the directory. For tidy project, I will create the package.
To create the package follow these instructions:
1. Right-click on the mounted directory and from the contextual menu select New > Java Package
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To create the JFRAME as main class follow these steps:
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2. So finally we used the All Templates, and you select the Java GUI Forms > JFRAME form option and click on NEXT.
3. Give it a name. (I used MyDesktopAppFrm) and click on finish. Be aware you can set advanced options by clicking on next. But for the purposes of this topic we will use default options so click on FINISH
4. A new JFRAME form appears inside your package. Right click on the form and select Set layout > Absolute Layout.
5. Add some controls and code. I added a label and a button. And coded the ActionPerformed event of the button to say hello! on the label. this is up to you. The code just looks as follows:
private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
// Add your handling code here:
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Let's say this is our Desktop Application. Now We will pack it in a Jar in two steps...
A. Create a JAR file (Recipe)
1. Right-click on your package and select New > All Tempaltes (Long Route) You can also select New > JAR Recipe if available.
2. On the New Wizard Window, choose the JAR ARchives > JAR Recipe template and click on NEXT
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4. Specify the JAR Contents. Select the Package (not the mounted folder) from the mounted file system and click on add and then click on NEXT twice...
5. On the JAR Manifest window, click on GENERATE
6. Edit the manifest in the window to add the following code:
Main-Class: MyDesktopApp.MyDesktopAppFrm
7. Ensure the Main-Class definition is the same as your java package and JFRAME name. Click on FINISH
8. At this point we have a jar file in your project directory but this file wont run because it is missing some Netbeans clases that we will add in the next set of steps... Just to check, compile the file (right click on the JAR file and compile) and try to execute. It must compile but must not execute.(well if it executes you are done. It may execute if you did not set the lay out of the form as AbsoluteLayout)
B. Add the AbsoluteLayOut to the JAR
1. Right click on File Systems and select Mount > Archive Files
2. Look for your netbeans installation folder and select the following file:
.../netbeans/modules/ext/AbsoluteLayout.jar
3. Click on finish
4. Now the JAR File is mounted in the file systems.
5. Right-click on your MyDesktopApp.JAR file and select properties.
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7. From the FileSystems box in the Contents window, select the AbsoluteLayOut file and click on Add
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11. Now you must be able to run the file by right clicking it and EXECUTE.
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I hope this long explanation helps somebody to deploy Java Desktop applications. Please reply the message if it helps you just to know it was useful.
Thanks for your time....
JN

NoClassDefFoundError when attempting to execute jar file

I've created a jar file for an application that uses a 3d party jar file -comm.jar
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thanks

PROBLEM RESOLVED:
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use the command:
jar -xvf comm.jar
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eg.
myJarDirectory/javax/comm/*.class
myJarDirectory/com/sun/comm/*.class
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Manifest-Version: 1.0
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Run the following command to create a new jar file
jar -cvfm cs.jar Manifest.MF *.class javax com
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I have written a java code in which i am connecting to database....when i run the class file using......java class_filename it works........
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that class is part of jar file.....in classpath i have included zip files for jdbc ...to get databse connection.....and the jar being executed ................still it gives the error ClassDefnotfound which i think is due to database connection problem.....the exception is raised while.....
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Hi all,
i have a query, i have a generic installer which is used to install the oracle weblogic 10.3 software in unix platform(i.e., which is in .jar extension) which is executable jar file.
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Edited by: sumanth_abhi on Jan 27, 2009 11:50 PM

According to the Jar Guide (http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/guide/jar/jarGuide.html)
Executable Jar Files
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--olaf

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Hello,
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Yes,
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How can I add image files to a executable jar file ?

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Please don't cross post, and read this
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cu
Oliver

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Manifest-Version: 1.0
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Created-By: 1.3.0 (Sun Microsystems Inc.)
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SHA-Digest: 1QTjvzw4Qnm0JuMJbeTmEJmSjd4=
MD5-Digest: 8eU7VibFyYLk4CdOH436gg==

main-class header should have a class name.
Main-Class: DHolidaysDatabase_SWiNG.SWDHolidays

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