Thread: Creating a Jar executable java program

Hi,

I created a simple quiz program which includes audio MP3 files and image JPG files. Most importantly I used an external package in order to play audio files (JavaFX package) to the quiz program. I've used JGrasp IDE to write the program in.

I have tried to then create a jar file from the command line using the 'jar' command. Although before I used javaFX, the jar file could run perfectly on the system without the IDE. But now with the javaFX external package included, after created the jar file, and compiling the file, I get an exception saying cannot find the classes used in javaFX?

I also tried to add the jar files that my IDE has worked with to compile the classes within javaFX, but still gives that exception when I try to compile the jar file (using command ' java -jar quiz.jar ') ?

Can anyone tell how to add the javaFX external package to the jar file in order to run successfully on the system?

Thanks, much appreciated

Thanks for the reply.

Well there are exactly 4 jar files that I'm using for javaFX contained in the one jar file I'm trying to create.
I'm not sure how to distribute them separately, so there are 4 jars (javaFX) contained into 1 jar (mine).
In the manifest file I have used one of the main GUI classes as the 'Main-Class' as the entry point.
I don't have any class path used in the file. Do I need to fill in that parameter to locate javaFX?
What is the DocumentViewerWParser.jar file suppose to be?

Thanks again

Thanks for the reply. I actually managed to get the jar executing successfully now by adding each jar file to the class-path in the manifest.
Although now when I copy that jar file to another directory and try execute it, it doesn't run? The jar file somehow needs the originating files (.class's, image's, audio's) to execute successfully. I thought the whole point of creating jar files is to be able to execute them independently without it's originating resource files?

Thanks again

Yes, the jar file does contain all it's resources. As it works ok and executes. But when I move the jar file elsewhere from the directory where it was created, it wont execute. That's my new problem

Thanks for the reply again.

Because the jar files executes in the same directory where the file was created, I copied the output of the successful result below

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\dougie1809\Desktop\ProgrammingExamples\Qu iz>java -jar FunQuiz.jar

C:\Users\dougie1809\Desktop\ProgrammingExamples\Qu iz>

Now I moved the jar file back 1 directory and now I got the output with an exception below:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\dougie1809\Desktop\ProgrammingExamples\Qu iz>java -jar FunQuiz.jar

C:\Users\dougie1809\Desktop\ProgrammingExamples\Qu iz>cd ..

C:\Users\dougie1809\Desktop\ProgrammingExamples>ja va -jar FunQuiz.jar
Exception in thread "main" MediaException: MEDIA_UNAVAILABLE : C:\Users\dougie18
09\Desktop\ProgrammingExamples\menu.mp3 (The system cannot find the file specifi
ed)
at javafx.scene.media.Media.<init>(Unknown Source)
at QuizMenu.<init>(QuizMenu.java:119)
at QuizMenu.main(QuizMenu.java:216)

C:\Users\dougie1809\Desktop\ProgrammingExamples>

Thanks again

Yes that file is in the jar file. I'm not sure how it is reading these files, I just don't understand why the file won't execute when removed from the directory where the jar file was created. For some reason, the jar file needs all the resource files (which are already contained inside the jar file) beside it in the same directory to execute.

The code below is line 119 which takes in the String 'song' (name of file) to construct Media.

audio = new Media(song);

But all of this code does work, until I move the jar file elsewhere from the directory it was originally created in. (Also that song file is contained inside the jar file)

Thanks again

Yes it can take in a URL, FILE or URI as a String. The code below is the full value of the String:

String song = new File("menu.mp3").toURI().toString();

This interpretation of the String song eliminates the need to use full path names and can determine the name of the file as long as it is contained in the current directory, which in this case is.

Thanks again

Oh right, thanks. I'l look into that. I never knew that how your code could be the problem with creating jar files.

Thanks again