🔒 Locked

[java] Java deployment to MS Windows

Started by TheCrow33 Jun 14, 2011 at 2:36 PM 8 replies 1.9k views

Original Post

Jun 14, 2011 at 2:36 PM

I have a bit of an odd question... How do most Java developers deploy applications for use with MS Windows? At the moment the only application (as in not applet meant to be run through a browser) that I can think of being programmed in Java and runnable on Windows is Minecraft. I know that Minecraft has been able to convert his whole project to an EXE binary, but I'm not real sure how he managed to do that, any ideas? Any other ideas as to how to get a non-tech-savy person to be able to double-click a Java application to run it? I'm asking these questions because I haven't owned a copy of Windows in a couple years and I personally feel Java is one of the most useful languages for the projects I'm currently taking on.

Angex

Jun 14, 2011 at 7:02 PM

I know that Minecraft has been able to convert his whole project to an EXE binary, but I'm not real sure how he managed to do that, any ideas?

There are compilers available that can directly produce machine code: Example

Any other ideas as to how to get a non-tech-savy person to be able to double-click a Java application to run it?

For smaller applications I'd reccommend Java WebStart

TheCrow33

Jun 14, 2011 at 8:05 PM

Yeah I feared that cross-compiling was going to be the way to do it, I had messed with gcj before to make a native elf binary but never went as far as to build a cross-compiler. Anyway thanks for the response

SimonForsman

Jun 14, 2011 at 9:10 PM

Yeah I feared that cross-compiling was going to be the way to do it, I had messed with gcj before to make a native elf binary but never went as far as to build a cross-compiler. Anyway thanks for the response

You don't have to crosscompile, gcj is available for windows through the mingw project.

http://www.thisiscool.com/gcc_mingw.htm

i_luv_cplusplus

Jun 14, 2011 at 9:25 PM

try this http://launch4j.sourceforge.net/

LorenzoGatti

Jun 15, 2011 at 1:01 PM

try this http://launch4j.sourceforge.net/

Seconded, avoid unusual time-consuming alternative platforms: you only need a little executable to launch the normal JRE virtual machine (which you can bundle with your program if you want).

Glass_Knife

Jun 15, 2011 at 5:32 PM

Forgive me for asking the silly question, but why not just a jar file?

If you want to launch a java program, why not just put it in a jar file with a manifest file so that when they double click it, it runs.
The last Java game I made worked this way, and I sent it to all my friends, who tried it on MAC, Windows, and Linux.
Worked great.

I am sure that the Windows launching software would work too, but why even go there?

SimonForsman

Jun 15, 2011 at 5:45 PM

Forgive me for asking the silly question, but why not just a jar file?

If you want to launch a java program, why not just put it in a jar file with a manifest file so that when they double click it, it runs.
The last Java game I made worked this way, and I sent it to all my friends, who tried it on MAC, Windows, and Linux.
Worked great.

I am sure that the Windows launching software would work too, but why even go there?

The problem on Windows is that some software hijacks the .jar extension (winrar being one of the more common offenders) which causes problems for end users.

Glass_Knife

Jun 15, 2011 at 7:23 PM

The problem on Windows is that some software hijacks the .jar extension (winrar being one of the more common offenders) which causes problems for end users.

SimonForsman

Jun 15, 2011 at 8:16 PM

[quote name='SimonForsman' timestamp='1308159922' post='4823704']
The problem on Windows is that some software hijacks the .jar extension (winrar being one of the more common offenders) which causes problems for end users.

I have never hear of this problem before. I do lots of Java stuff, but I don't every release it for the public, so I knew there had to be weird issues like this that I've never heard of.

I don't want to install this to break my Java, but I imagine that it changes the file association so that double clicking no longer works?
Is that what happens?
[/quote]

Yes, winrar basically associates .jar files with itself and opens the archive for extraction. (its easily fixable ofcourse but for the average user it can be very frustrating)

Topic Locked

This topic has been locked by a moderator. New replies are not allowed.