I'm learning Java and I have a problem. I created 6 different classes, each has it's own main() method. I want to create executable .jar for each class, that is 6 executable .jar files.
So far I tried
java -jar cf myJar.jar myClass.class
and I get 'Unable to access jarfile cf'. I'm doing something wrong but I don't know what. I'm also using Eclipse IDE if that means something.
In order to create a .jar file, you need to use jar instead of java:
jar cf myJar.jar myClass.class
Additionally, if you want to make it executable, you need to indicate an entry point (i.e., a class with public static void main(String[] args)) for your application. This is usually accomplished by creating a manifest file that contains the Main-Class header (e.g., Main-Class: myClass).
However, as Mark Peters pointed out, with JDK 6, you can use the e option to define the entry point:
jar cfe myJar.jar myClass myClass.class
Finally, you can execute it:
java -jar myJar.jar
See also
Creating a JAR File
Setting an Application's Entry Point with the JAR Tool
Sine you've mentioned you're using Eclipse... Eclipse can create the JARs for you, so long as you've run each class that has a main once. Right-click the project and click Export, then select "Runnable JAR file" under the Java folder. Select the class name in the launch configuration, choose a place to save the jar, and make a decision how to handle libraries if necessary. Click finish, wipe hands on pants.
Often you need to put more into the manifest than what you get with the -e switch, and in that case, the syntax is:
jar -cvfm myJar.jar myManifest.txt myApp.class
Which reads: "create verbose jarFilename manifestFilename", followed by the files you want to include.
Note that the name of the manifest file you supply can be anything, as jar will automatically rename it and put it into the right place within the jar file.
way 1 :
Let we have java file test.java which contains main class testa
now first we compile our java file simply as javac test.java
we create file manifest.txt in same directory and we write Main-Class: mainclassname . e.g :
Main-Class: testa
then we create jar file by this command :
jar cvfm anyname.jar manifest.txt testa.class
then we run jar file by this command : java -jar anyname.jar
way 2 :
Let we have one package named one and every class are inside it.
then we create jar file by this command :
jar cf anyname.jar one
then we open manifest.txt inside directory META-INF in anyname.jar file and write
Main-Class: one.mainclassname
in third line., then we run jar file by this command :
java -jar anyname.jar
to make jar file having more than one class file : jar cf anyname.jar one.class two.class three.class......
Put all the 6 classes to 6 different projects. Then create jar files of all the 6 projects. In this manner you will get 6 executable jar files.
Related
Is there a way to pass an external jar file when running a .jar application?
I'm trying to run my jar like this:
java -jar myJar.jar -cp externalJar.jar
The jar file executes fine but I want to look for classes in the external file. I can't include the other classes into my jar, because I want to be able to put any jar file in the same folder as my Jar file and look for classes in there.
The only way to do this right now is by running my app like this:
java -cp myJar.jar;externalJar.jar MainClass
I do not want to explicitly enter the path to my MainClass to run it's main method.
It really seems that the -cp option is completely ignored when you use the -jar option. At least this is what you can read on the manpage of java about the -jar option:
Execute a program encapsulated in a JAR file. The first argument is
the name of a JAR file instead of a startup class name. In order for
this option to work, the manifest of the JAR file must contain a line
of the form Main-Class: classname. Here, classname identifies the
class having the public static void main(String[] args) method that
serves as your application's starting point. See the Jar tool
reference page and the Jar trail of the Java Tutorial for information
about working with Jar files and Jar-file manifests.
When you use this option, the JAR file is the source of all user classes, and other user
class path settings are ignored.
Note that JAR files that can be run with the "java -jar" option can
have their execute permissions set so they can be run without using
"java -jar". Refer to Java Archive (JAR) Files.
I found this in this blogpost here: http://happygiraffe.net/blog/2009/04/30/java-jar-blats-your-classpath/
Did you try adding a specific folder to the classpath during startup and then add your jar file to the folder at later point ?
I have written a .java file, called Main.java, and have compiled it using the javac in the Windows Command Prompt. The compiler is creating multiple .class files (called Main.class, Main$1.class, & Main$2.class--presumably because I have anonymous inner classes in my Main.java file). I am trying to create a runnable .jar file so I can double click a shortcut to run this application (it is a Java Swing application), but I am unsuccessful when I navigate to the directory of the three class files and type:
jar cfv file.jar Main.class Main$1.class Main$2.class
The Command Prompt then outputs this text:
added manifest
adding: Main.class(in 4871) (out = 2848)(deflated 41%)
adding: Main$1.class(in 1409) (out = 833)(deflated 40%)
adding: Main$2.class(in 1239) (out = 767)(deflated 38%)
Despite this, when I double click on the file.jar file in Windows Explorer, simply put, nothing happens. No swing application opens.
Hopefully someone can help me out with this. Thank you
Best...SL
You need to use the entry-point switch -e (with the name of the class containing the main() method) as such:
jar cfve file.jar Main Main.class Main$1.class Main$2.class
Something's gotta tell the java which class should be started automatically.
That's the Manifest - see description here
You have to package the Manifest.mf in your jar.
Open Command Prompt
cd go to the path where jar file exist
run command jar xf fileName.jar
It will generate com, META-INF & Copyright.mk files
Go to the particular package where u want to modify the class file (Basically class files present in com directory)
Download the JAD.exe from google (Its Zip File)
Extract the Zip file you will get jad.exe
Place the class file (which u want to modify) in the folder, that contains jad.exe
Go to command prompt, run jad fileName.class (the class filename which u want to modify)
fileName.jad file will get generate , rename it as fileName.java
compile the fileName.java (if its referring to some other class file configure it in eclipse accordingly)
once compiled replace the class file in the directory defined in step 4
Go to command prompt, cd Step 4 path, run jar cf fileName.jar (* represents all the class files irrespective of directories)
open cmd (windows+r type cmd)
simipily type command as a "jar" without quatoes
it will give some options and those usage.
use what you want
to create a jar file with class you to mention jar cfv filename.jar example.class
example2.class etc..
IF your using swing compile it with javac -deprecation SwingApplication.java but JDK version must be greater than version JDK1.1
run java SwingApplication
ALL THE BEst
I've been learning about JAR files and wanted to try and create and run one myself. I carried out the following steps:
Created a project folder with a 'source' subfolder and a 'classes' subfolder
I wrote 2 source files, one with a main method which creates an instance of the other class and runs a simple method in it.
Compiled these to the 'classes' subfolder. I checked to see if they would run. They did
I created a manifest.txt file and filled in the Main-Class: xxxx and hit the return key. I saved this in the sources subfolder
Created a jar file in the classes subfolder by writing
jar -cvmf manifest.txt zzz.jar *.class
Tried to execute the jar file by typing
java -jar zzz.jar
This gives a ClassNotFound exception. If I try to execute the jar by double clicking on it in windows I get an errorbox saying "Could not find the main class xxxx"
I've double checked the spelling of the class inside the manifest file and it's correct.
Possibly important: I have to compile my programs using java -cp . xyz as there is an issue with my classpath. Does this mean that I need to execute jars in a different way as well? I tried
java -cp . -jar zzz.jar
but ended up with the same exception.
Edit: I ended up starting from scratch and now it runs (with the basic -jar zzz.jar command). Frustrating that I don't know what I was doing wrong but glad that it is working!
Shouldn't number 5. be run in the classes subfolder, where all your class files are? And if your classes are in packages, which they should be, you'll likely want to use * instead of *.class..?
To check what your jar file contains you can run:
jar tf zzz.jar
You will probably have to supply the entire path of the .class file you wish to execute after the classpath. ie java -cp xxx.jar classes.mainProgram.class. Where classes is the name of the folder which contains your class files.
Hi all,
I have about 10 jars and when I run my program I invoke the following:
java -Xmx1024m -cp a.jar;b.jar;c.jar;whatever.jar -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 [package][class]
I want to make this as an executable jar. I thought that when I unjar (that sounds weird, but I'm using java command - not using general zip program) the jar containing [package][class], update manifest.mf and rejar it. Unfortunately, this did not work.
Is it possible for me to make it as an executable jar or I should unjar it and sum it all?
You just need this line in your manifest file
Main-Class: my.package.Main
Then run the jar command with the m flag, and give it the name of your manifest file:
jar cmf manifest main.jar *.class
Unfortunately, jars can't contain other jars. Give the jar containing your entry point a Main-Class, and then set the classpath so that the other 9 jars are accessible.
Jar is a collection of files. To make a jar an executable the most important thing is that it should contain a class that has the main() method. So, you can make a jar executable only if contains a .class file that has a main method. That class will look like this.
public class AClass
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
...
}jar
...
}
Then and only then can you make a jar executable.
If the main() method class is present. Then to make the jar executable do this.
Extract the jar
In the manifest file add this line Main-Class:AClass and don't forget to press enter after this line. follow this link
Rejar the class files. You got the executable jar now
To execute the jar, (suppose you made a.jar executable), then run java -jar a.jar to run the jar file.
Second thing is that the command that you have posted in the question does not require those jars to be executable. When you use -cp, then the parameters (i.e. a.jar etc..)are basically libraries or in other words, when java will look for a class file to find definition of a class or a function or whatever for that matter, it will look inside these jars if what it is looking for is not part of the java standard library.
I'm learning Java and I have a problem. I created 6 different classes, each has it's own main() method. I want to create executable .jar for each class, that is 6 executable .jar files.
So far I tried
java -jar cf myJar.jar myClass.class
and I get 'Unable to access jarfile cf'. I'm doing something wrong but I don't know what. I'm also using Eclipse IDE if that means something.
In order to create a .jar file, you need to use jar instead of java:
jar cf myJar.jar myClass.class
Additionally, if you want to make it executable, you need to indicate an entry point (i.e., a class with public static void main(String[] args)) for your application. This is usually accomplished by creating a manifest file that contains the Main-Class header (e.g., Main-Class: myClass).
However, as Mark Peters pointed out, with JDK 6, you can use the e option to define the entry point:
jar cfe myJar.jar myClass myClass.class
Finally, you can execute it:
java -jar myJar.jar
See also
Creating a JAR File
Setting an Application's Entry Point with the JAR Tool
Sine you've mentioned you're using Eclipse... Eclipse can create the JARs for you, so long as you've run each class that has a main once. Right-click the project and click Export, then select "Runnable JAR file" under the Java folder. Select the class name in the launch configuration, choose a place to save the jar, and make a decision how to handle libraries if necessary. Click finish, wipe hands on pants.
Often you need to put more into the manifest than what you get with the -e switch, and in that case, the syntax is:
jar -cvfm myJar.jar myManifest.txt myApp.class
Which reads: "create verbose jarFilename manifestFilename", followed by the files you want to include.
Note that the name of the manifest file you supply can be anything, as jar will automatically rename it and put it into the right place within the jar file.
way 1 :
Let we have java file test.java which contains main class testa
now first we compile our java file simply as javac test.java
we create file manifest.txt in same directory and we write Main-Class: mainclassname . e.g :
Main-Class: testa
then we create jar file by this command :
jar cvfm anyname.jar manifest.txt testa.class
then we run jar file by this command : java -jar anyname.jar
way 2 :
Let we have one package named one and every class are inside it.
then we create jar file by this command :
jar cf anyname.jar one
then we open manifest.txt inside directory META-INF in anyname.jar file and write
Main-Class: one.mainclassname
in third line., then we run jar file by this command :
java -jar anyname.jar
to make jar file having more than one class file : jar cf anyname.jar one.class two.class three.class......
Put all the 6 classes to 6 different projects. Then create jar files of all the 6 projects. In this manner you will get 6 executable jar files.