I am working on a project for my users to generate HTML pages, JS files, CSS files etc... through dragging and dropping visual elements and by going through a series of wizzards. The goal I am trying to achieve is to create an application in which users selects a runtime, for example tomcat or nodeJS and then be able to create content for that specific runtime in the manner described above. Part of this application would be the preparing of your runtime, and by that I mean installing tomcat or nodeJS for you. so the big question here would be, how do I run installers through program code ? (java 7/8 mainly)
what I have tried:
Using a strategy design pattern to determine the host platform and run a series of command in the terminal to execute an installer, problem here is that some installers start a wizzard and require further user input. and in some cases the host platform would require elevated permission. Is there perhaps a solution where one adds arguments to the terminal commands to skip an installation wizzard ?
Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated.
Answer of Fildor was most usefull.
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I have created a Java program that utilizes Chrome Driver, Selenium, and Java Excel API. The program is used to automate a few different processes on Google Chrome. Currently, setting up this automation is more complicated than I would like it to be: the user needs to download a zipped folder, unzip it, download the Java Runtime Environment, and launch the program using the executable.
My goal is to simplify the installation of the automation. Ideally, a user would come to a SharePoint website, fill out a form with the parameters of the automation (potentially upload an Excel Workbook), click an "execute" button, and the automation would run. As a result, the automation would run seamlessly across platforms (Windows and MacOS) without any modifications.
I have researched changing the programming language to achieve this functionality. I concluded that a different language could remove the need for a Java Runtime Environment download, but it would still require some type of installation process. Additionally, I have researched using HTML/JavaScript, but I concluded that this is not possible because the functionality (triggering a web automation from a website) could be used maliciously without the user's knowledge. Finally, I began researching containerization through Docker. This solution seems promising but I do not know enough about it to determine if it is the appropriate solution.
What would be the best route to achieve the results that I am looking for (outlined in the second paragraph)? I have access to enterprise-grade databases that I thought may be useful. Would it be possible to have the form trigger a virtual machine to run the automation on a remote database and then output the result to the user once it has finished?
Thank you in advance for any guidance you can provide. I do not know much about making a Java program into an enterprise-grade application so any information about what to research is extremely useful. Finally, please do not hesitate to correct my logic at any point in this question as I may have drawn the wrong conclusions from my research.
You want to look into creating a jar file with your selenium code.
i am currently writing a game on javaFX and i have plans to post it in the website i run in the future (end exploit the Ads while at it). The problem is that after searching around a little it seems there is no way to run a java application on a browser.
Allowing people to run it through the browser would really help sharing the program.
My question is: is there today(2018) any way to run a java application through the web? Though i like java, no browser support seems like a really, really bad idea.
Oh, i also heard of Java Web Start. Although it looks like it is just avoiding the problem (not running in the browser) it seems like a good way to share an application. The problem is that it seems it is (Will be?) deprecated? I am helpless, it is like java isn't even trying anymore...
PS: If it makes any difference my game would be a 2D game with 3rd person view. It will also require some server stuff since players will create "arenas" that others can challenge. I would say my game wouldn't be "simple".
Java Web Start does the job very well—if you are willing to pay for a code signing certificate. (They’re a lot more expensive than regular SSL certificates.) The idea is that a user clicks on a hyperlink on your page, which causes the user’s Java installation to launch your application (possibly after installing it). This requires users to have Java installed beforehand.
If you don’t have the resources or desire to go with a code signing certificate, you can look at https://docs.oracle.com/javase/9/deploy/self-contained-application-packaging.htm. It allows you to create native installation packages for JavaFX applications. The disadvantage: You need each platform to create an installer for it. Meaning, you need Windows to create a Windows installer, OS X to create an OS X installation image, and Linux to create a Linux package. Some may also require signing using native tools.
Java 9 includes the jmod and jlink tools, which are capable of creating a file tree with an executable shell script or .bat file. A major advantage is that you can build such a tree for any platform, regardless of your own platform, if you unpackage the foreign platform’s JDK on your machine. Another advantage is that the user doesn’t need to have Java installed at all. A disadvantage is that the script requires a terminal, unless running on Linux.
Of course, you can just go the manual route and distribute a zip file which contains your .jar file(s), a shell script you’ve written, and a .bat file you’ve written. It’s not elegant, but it’s better than nothing. But it may trip up some non-technical users.
There exist a number of tools which create a native executable from .jar files, but I am not familiar with them (and I prefer to avoid third party tools unless they are truly necessary).
Whatever approach you choose, the answer is the same: You distribute something on your web page which the user downloads and runs. Aside from the download process, the browser is not involved.
What you can’t do is have users run your application inside the browser. That is deprecated, with good reason: It’s a disaster for the browser performance, for the Java runtime, for security, and for the user experience. And Firefox has all but banned plugins, so you’d be locking out a substantial percentage of users.
I read SO q&a about launch java as windows service wrappers, but can't find/choose product, suitable for my requirements :
Wrapper reads all java launch parameters from config file. In registry must be only commands to run wrapper itself - path to exe and maybe path to config. Always grant admin rights to change app parameters in registry is not comfortable.
Working dir and path to application also must be in config. I want to place all wrapper files deep into program, because user not intrested in it.
No dependencies(.net, python, etc). I don't want to extend requirements of my program.
Free for every windows OS, include win64.
Simple and lightweight. Size of my program with all 3rd party jars is 12Mbytes. I don't want to add 20Mbytes wrapper.
Automaticaly restart if app process dies.
Preferably single exe files for all windows platform.
I try and lookinkg throught different wrappers and tired a bit. Best suitable till now is:
jslwin (http://jslwin.sourceforge.net), but i don't know how mature it is(version 0.99). Also parameter lists in config is a bit complex(need to edit parameters quantity).
winrun4j (http://winrun4j.sourceforge.net), but i don't know how mature it is(version 0.45). Also it needs a special class for working as a service.
Also i try or look throught:
YAJWS (http://yajsw.sourceforge.net/) too big (30mb), can't make it work with custom files layout.
Advanced Installer (http://www.advancedinstaller.com) too big (50mb).
nssm (http://nssm.cc/) store launch parameters in registry(no config)
winsw (https://kenai.com/projects/winsw) .net required, stops after process dies
commons-daemon, procrun (http://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-daemon/index.html) store launch parameters in registry(no config), can't understand this product, i think it's complex.
jsmooth (http://jsmooth.sourceforge.net) complex and old(last update 2007)
javaservice (http://forge.ow2.org/projects/javaservice/) old (last update 2006)
runasservice (http://runasservice.sourceforge.net/) requires .net
windows rktools - sc, instsrv, srvany (http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B137890&x=16&y=7) - store launch parameters in registry(no config)
jwrapper (http://www.jwrapper.com/) seems not what i need. It packs java program in exe file with JRE. It's not about windows services.
firedaemon (http://www.firedaemon.com/) not free. And maybe it's not what i need.
launch4j (http://launch4j.sourceforge.net/) cool ability "search or download java". Maybe i add something like this to simplify installation, but it is still not about subj.
Java service wrapper (http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.com/) not free for win64.
Tell me please which wrappers suits my needs? Or maybe i think wrong about wrappers above and some of them suits my needs to?
I have had similar issues over the years. Its not that they all are inferior, its that they are all pretty hard to integrate nicely with your own project.
You may want to check out stork: https://github.com/fizzed/stork
It'll help create launchers for your Java console or daemon apps, and they will work across all major platforms. There is also a maven plugin in case you wanted to tie it into your existing build process.
I'm not sure if JWrapper will fulfil all the requirements like 1 and 2 in the way that you want it since rather than you dictating how it does the launch and where it puts things etc JWrapper instead handles that stuff in its own way but it does produce executables for win/mac/linux and more importantly it does support windows service installation as well as macos and linux daemon installation:
http://www.jwrapper.com/guide-installing-a-service.html
The service support though is for paid licenses, the free version doesn't currently support it.
Disclosure: I work for JWrapper
So I'm working on a project where I would like to be able to have the user browse the Active Directory to find a machine or workstation. I already know that you can envoke this directory search in the command prompt by using:
rundll32 dsquery,OpenQueryWindow
I'm using java for my project and I understand how to capture input from a command that I execute in the program but currently, at home, I'm not connected to a domain so I cannot test what the command returns when a user selects a computer or if it even returns anything. Could someone test this for me and tell me what it returns.
Also, if anyone has any better ideas on how to achieve this without relying on window's tools, like maybe a Java API for Active Directory Services?
Instead of calling an API function using rundll32, you should use a Java based LDAP library which will encapsulate the work in front of the Active Directory (so you won't have to parse the results by yourself).
Also, if anyone has any better ideas on how to achieve this without relying on window's tools, like maybe a Java API for Active Directory Services?
Choosing a pure Java library could help you run your application on many platforms (as opposed to using Windows' rundll32 which will limit you to Windows platform)
Check out this thread: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/389746/ldap-java-library.
currently, at home, I'm not connected to a domain so I cannot test what the command returns
There are solutions for this kind of testing problems. You should read about mocking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mock_object
Good luck!
Tal.
Talk to the AD via the LDAP API.
I have written a very simple Java application. Can anyone tell me how to create a launcher like icon to run that application both in Ubuntu and Windows ??
Thanks in advance..!!
An executable JAR should work fine for a launcher on both Windows and Linux. However, that won't get you a custom icon.
On Windows, you can use JSmooth, which will create a .exe wrapper around your JAR file. The JSmooth program will let you create an icon for the EXE as well (it also has options such as getting the user to download the necessary version of the JVM, or only permitting one instance of the program to run).
If your java application is to be distributed from a web server, you should have a look at Java Web Start which can do what you ask for based on a JNLP-file. Notably see
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E17476_01/javase/1.5.0/docs/guide/javaws/developersguide/faq.html#104
Ubuntu and Windows will both have different ways to launch the application. I see two routes to follow here. One is to use Java Web Start and use a web interface to start your application. The other is to search for some sort of 3rd party installer that will create setup/installation programs for all the platforms you want to use.
I actually used a third party install program before, InstallAnywhere, but it was almost ten years ago. It offered the functionality you are looking for, though.
There are different ways to do this, sometimes the simplest is the best approach. One solution as suggested is a simple starting script. Roll your application into a jar, then include a script that does nothing more than "java -jar myscript.jar". I do this all the time for internal customers that may be running various types of *nix and whatever version of windows (a few macs as well). How sophisticated you need it to be depends on the audience served.
Create a bat/shell script which starts your application.
And than create a shortcut/launcher for it.
Shortcut file in windows has extension lnk.
Update
See example - SQuirreL launch file.