Query JVM for executing JAR absolute path

Question

Good morning
In order to use resources in an executed JAR file, I use the following :
URL url = JARFILENAME.class.getResource(myResourceRelativePath);But, JARFILENAME is the name of the JAR file which is being executed and I would not like it to be hard coded. Is there anyway to query the JVM the absolute path of the executed JAR file ?
Thanks a lot
Christophe

Answer 1

Good Afternoon everybody,
Thank you very much Owen ! Your words were very helpful to me.
In order to help other people who would like to process text files embedded in an executable JAR file, here all my sources for this example.
HOW TO PROCESS TEXT FILES EMBEDDED IN AN EXECUTABLE JAR FILE WITH PACKAGED CLASS FILES
File list for the project (after executing the makefile) :
.\build
.\docs
.\src
.\makefile.bat
.\JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.jar
.\sources.txt
.\JarTextResourcesReaderDemo(Sources).zip
.\build\cbismuth
.\build\txt
.\build\manifest.mf
.\build\cbismuth\demos
.\build\cbismuth\utils
.\build\cbismuth\demos\JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.class
.\build\cbismuth\utils\jar
.\build\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader
.\build\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader\JarTextResourcesReader.class
.\build\txt\myTextFile.csv
.\docs\cbismuth
.\docs\package-list
.\docs\resources
.\docs\stylesheet.css
.\docs\allclasses-frame.html
.\docs\allclasses-noframe.html
.\docs\constant-values.html
.\docs\deprecated-list.html
.\docs\help-doc.html
.\docs\index.html
.\docs\index-all.html
.\docs\JarTextResourcesReader.html
.\docs\JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.html
.\docs\overview-frame.html
.\docs\overview-summary.html
.\docs\overview-tree.html
.\docs\package-frame.html
.\docs\package-summary.html
.\docs\package-tree.html
.\docs\cbismuth\demos
.\docs\cbismuth\utils
.\docs\cbismuth\demos\JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.html
.\docs\cbismuth\demos\package-frame.html
.\docs\cbismuth\demos\package-summary.html
.\docs\cbismuth\demos\package-tree.html
.\docs\cbismuth\utils\jar
.\docs\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader
.\docs\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader\JarTextResourcesReader.html
.\docs\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader\package-frame.html
.\docs\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader\package-summary.html
.\docs\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader\package-tree.html
.\docs\resources\inherit.gif
.\src\cbismuth
.\src\cbismuth\demos
.\src\cbismuth\utils
.\src\cbismuth\demos\JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.java
.\src\cbismuth\utils\jar
.\src\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader
.\src\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader\JarTextResourcesReader.java[b]File .\sources.txt :
.\src\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader\JarTextResourcesReader.java
.\src\cbismuth\demos\JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.java[b]File .\makefile.bat :
@title Java Project Compilation
@echo off
echo ------------------
echo Old Files Deletion
echo ------------------
del /f /q *.zip
del /f /q *.jar
del /f /q build\cbismuth
echo -----------
echo Compilation
echo -----------
javac -O -deprecation -d build @sources.txt
echo -------------------
echo Java Doc Generation
echo -------------------
javadoc -author -version -private -windowtitle JarTextResourcesReaderDemo -d docs @sources.txt
echo -------------------------
echo Executable JAR Generation
echo -------------------------
cd build
jar -cvfm JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.jar .\manifest.mf *
move JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.jar ..
cd ..
echo ----------------------
echo ZIP Project Generation
echo ----------------------
jar -cvf JarTextResourcesReaderDemo(Sources).zip *[b]File .\src\cbismuth\utils\jar\textreader\JarTextResourcesReader.java :
package cbismuth.utils.jar.textreader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.lang.NullPointerException;
import java.lang.IndexOutOfBoundsException;
public class JarTextResourcesReader {
  protected BufferedReader[] readers = null;
  public JarTextResourcesReader(String[] paths) throws NullPointerException {
    int nbFiles = paths.length;
    readers = new BufferedReader[nbFiles];
    for (int i = 0; i < nbFiles; i++) {
      InputStream inputStream = this.getClass().getResourceAsStream(paths);
this.readers[i] = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(inputStream));
if (readers[i] == null) {
throw(new NullPointerException());
public void print() {
for (int i = 0; i < readers.length; i++) {
String line = null;
try {
while((line = readers[i].readLine()) != null) {
System.out.println(line);
catch(IOException e) {
// exception managment
public BufferedReader getReaderAt(int i) throws IndexOutOfBoundsException {
if (i > this.readers.length) {
throw(new IndexOutOfBoundsException());
else {
return(this.readers[i]);
public BufferedReader[] getReaders() {
return(this.readers);
public void close() {
for (int i = 0; i < this.readers.length; i++) {
try {
readers[i].close();
catch(IOException e) {
// exception managment
File .\src\cbismuth\demos\JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.java :
package cbismuth.demos;
import cbismuth.utils.jar.textreader.JarTextResourcesReader;
public class JarTextResourcesReaderDemo {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    String[] paths = new String[1];
    paths[0] = "/txt/myTextFile.csv";
    JarTextResourcesReader jtrr = new JarTextResourcesReader(paths);
    jtrr.print();
    jtrr.close();
}[b]File .\build\txt\myTextFile.csv :
Line 1 Column 1;Line 1 Column 2;Line 1 Column 3
Line 2 Column 1;Line 2 Column 2;Line 2 Column 3[b]File .\build\manifest.mf :
Main-Class: cbismuth.demos.JarTextResourcesReaderDemo
[BLANK LINE !]NOTE : a blank line MUST be left at the end of the MANIFEST file !
[b]Command line to execute the JAR file in the root directory :
java -jar JarTextResourcesReaderDemo.jar[b]Output :
Line 1 Column 1;Line 1 Column 2;Line 1 Column 3
Line 2 Column 1;Line 2 Column 2;Line 2 Column 3[b]Special thanks to Owen !
See you soon,
Christophe