Discover how to package and distribute your JavaFX application seamlessly to clients or users, eliminating the need for them to pre-install the Java SDK
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If your main JavaFX application class is named MainApplication as seen here, create another Java file named Launcher.java and include the following code:
public class Launcher {
public static void main(String[] args) {
MainApplication.main(args);
}
}
This Launcher.java file serves as an entry point to your JavaFX application
Include the following code snippet in your build.gradle file to generate a standalone FatJar for your project
task customFatJar(type: Jar) {
manifest {
attributes 'Main-Class': 'com.heshanthenura.packagedemo.Launcher'
}
archiveBaseName = 'PackageDemoJAR'
duplicatesStrategy = DuplicatesStrategy.EXCLUDE
from { configurations.runtimeClasspath.collect { it.isDirectory() ? it : zipTree(it) } }
with jar
}
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
task customFatJar(type: Jar) |
Defines a new task named customFatJar of type Jar, indicating that this task will generate a JAR file |
manifest { attributes 'Main-Class': 'com.heshanthenura.packagedemo.Launcher' } |
Sets the Main-Class attribute in the JAR's manifest file to point to the Launcher class, which serves as the entry point of your application |
archiveBaseName = 'PackageDemoJAR' |
Specifies the base name for the generated JAR file as PackageDemoJAR |
duplicatesStrategy = DuplicatesStrategy.EXCLUDE |
Handles duplicate files encountered during the JAR creation process by excluding them |
from { configurations.runtimeClasspath.collect { it.isDirectory() ? it : zipTree(it) } } |
Collects all dependencies from the runtime classpath and includes them in the JAR. configurations.runtimeClasspath gathers the project's runtime dependencies, and zipTree adds each dependency to the JAR. |
with jar |
Includes the existing JAR file (if any) generated by the default jar task along with the assembled JAR containing dependencies |
This customFatJar task amalgamates your project's code and its dependencies into a single JAR file. Upon execution, the generated JAR file will be located in the following path: build/libs
To validate the functionality of your JAR file, execute it using the command: java -jar <path to your JAR file>. This command verifies the proper execution of your Java application encapsulated within the JAR
To successfully package and distribute the application, leveraging the jpackage utility becomes essential for streamlining the process
find jpackage documentation here
jpackage is generally included as part of the JDK starting from Java 14. However, in certain cases or older versions where it might not be bundled or available by default, you can manually download the JDK that includes jpackage from the official Oracle or OpenJDK website.
Ensure you download a JDK version that explicitly mentions support for jpackage. After downloading and installing the JDK, you should have access to the jpackage tool in the JDK's bin directory
To confirm whether jpackage is installed on your system, run the command jpackage --help on CMD or Terminal. If installed, this command will display the help information for the jpackage utility, confirming its presence and functionality.
For Windows, it's necessary to install the WiX Toolset, version 3.0 or later
After completing the prerequisites, execute the following command
jpackage --input <direcory of jar file> --name <name> --main-jar <main jar file > --main-class <main class> --type <type> --win-dir-chooserExample command:
jpackage --input build/ --name PackageDemo --main-jar <mPackageDemoJAR.jar > --main-class <com.heshanthenura.packagedemo.Launcher> --type msi --win-dir-chooser
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
jpackage |
Invokes the jpackage tool, used for packaging Java applications |
--input <path to jar file> |
Specifies the input directory containing the application files to be packaged. In this case, it's the target/ directory |
--name <name> |
Sets the name for the packaged application as you like |
--main-jar <main jar file > |
Specifies the main JAR file related to directory where it's located of the application. |
--main-class <main class> |
Defines the main class of the application, specifying the entry point for execution. specify what we enter as main class in customFatJar task |
--type <msi / exe> |
Specifies the type of package to create, in this instance, a exe or msi for Windows. Recommended to use type as msi |
--win-dir-chooser |
This enables users to choose where they want to install the application on their Windows system |
After generating the MSI (Microsoft Installer) file using this command, you can effortlessly share it with users or clients, ensuring a hassle-free installation without concerns about Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or other dependency errors
Run the following command to install fake root
apt-get install fakeroot -y
Run following command to install rpm-build package
apt-get install fakeroot -y
Using yum (older versions of RHEL or CentOS):
sudo yum install rpm-build
After completing the prerequisites, execute the following command
jpackage --input <direcory of jar file> --name <name> --main-jar <main jar file > --main-class <main class> --type <type>| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
--type <rpm / deb> |
Specifies the type of package to create,rpm for Red Hat-based systems like Fedora, CentOS, and RHEL.deb for Debian-based systems like Ubuntu, Debian, and derivatives. |
After creating the package, please share the generated rpm or deb package with your users for installation on their respective systems.
jpackage --input <direcory of jar file> --name <name> --main-jar <main jar file Example command:
jpackage --input build/libs --name PackageDemo --main-jar PackageDemoJAR-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar --main-class com.heshanthenura.packagedemo.Launcher --type dmg