Import libraries in applets

Question

Hi everybody!
Can I import my own library in an applet??
My applet doesn't run if I use a class of some class of my libraries. I've already set the system classpath to the correct(??) direstory.
Someone can help me??
Thanks a lot

Answer 1

One handy way to specify the class path the applet is to use, is to include the jar files you want in the CLASSPATH in your manifest file in the jar containing your applet code.
While creating your applet jar if you include your own manifest, containing the jars you want in you class path, whose location is relative to the location of the applet jar on the server, you dont have to specify it in the html.
This is the Java download extension mechanism.
eg main class is pkg.MainApplet and it is in a jar called AppletJar.jar
to create this jar you would go
jar cvf AppletJar.jar pkg/*.class
For the download extension you would have a manifest file, called myManifest.mf, with the following in it:
%Class-path lib1.jar lib2.jar ../../sec/sec1.jar
(Remember the locatin of these files is relative to the AppletJar.jar file, so sec1.jar is back to folders, and then in the sec folder, li1.jar and lib2.jar are in the same folder as AppletJar.jar).
To add this to your jar, create it as follows
jar cvmf myManifest.mf AppletJar.jar pkg/*.class
Now when the applet is being loaded in the browser files you have specified in the manifest (which are on the server) are added to the classpath.
For more info see the documentation on the Java Extension Mechanism on how exactly is wotks.
Hope this helps,
Paul.