I have a program that I want to distribute, without giving the source code or database used. It's an sqlite database, and doesn't need to be updated. I tried using eclipse fatjar and changing where to look for the jar, but when I run the program, it just creates a blank database file in the same directory as the jar. I just want one file that I can distribute.
From comments deemed relevant:
..include an XML after tested with a TXT file.
I would, but this database is 80,000 lines long, and has 4 columns. It's only going to get bigger too, with updates to the program, not during runtime.
Put it on a server and have a web interface.
I want to avoid using any internet connection really. If someone wants to decompile the jar, whatever I don't care. I just want it to work from double click, and no extra files laying around.
(deployment) ..usability and neatness is important for me
That makes me think that what is really needed for this is a cross-platform installer. The user gets one file and double clicks it, 'follows the prompts' (if any prompts are required) & it extracts the app. ready for use.
It might create multiple files, but this will be largely invisible to the end user. 'Out of site is out of mind'.
I want to avoid using any internet connection..
I recommend you rethink that. What size does the app. come to when Jar'd? A couple of megabytes? That is nothing in this day and age of internet traffic. That's a 2 minute YouTube.
The ratio of devices having internet connections to machines having (for example) CD/DVD drives to load software is also changing. It is coming to a time when more machines capable of running J2SE have internet connections than have drives. I have a desktop PC and a Netbook that can both run J2SE. Both have an internet connection, but only the desktop PC has CD/DVD drives.
If that is the case (getting to my point) look to Java Web Start to deploy the app. and DB. Very user friendly, with good desktop integration.
it's about 50mb, but the problem is not all end users will have access to internet at all times. Distributing the application can be done through the internet, but I don't want to rely on it for accessing the database or loading the application all together.
That is not necessary. JWS caches the application resources locally. It will check the server for updated Jars, but can be configured to allow launch from the cached copy even if there is no internet connection at that moment. The launch file element to configure that would look something like:
<update check="always" policy="prompt-run">
Don't know whether you can do this with a SQLite database, but Derby supports jar: paths: http://db.apache.org/derby/docs/dev/devguide/cdevdvlp17453.html
Alternatively, extract the database from the jar to the filesystem upon launch and point there.
I think you can do the following:
Package your database on the classpath.
When the app loads, copy the database to some temporary directory (like /tmp)
Instruct sqlite to read it from there (by setting the jdbc url)
Add a jvm hook to delete the file when the app gets closed.
That should work like a charm.
Hint:
Use getClass().getResourceAsStream(); to get the reference of the file on the classpath.
Related
Some relevant background:
My application is a Java app compiled into a .exe via JSmooth. The anticipated user base would likely be a few hundred users, but could grow well beyond that, as it's a community specific application.
How it works:
2 .jar files, one that preforms initial checks, another with the meat of the application.
Ideally, the init jar displays the splash, checks the version in desktop.txt against server.txt, if they differ, it prompts the user to update.
What I need to figure out:
1) What is a cheap, scalable hosting service that I could use as the file host for updates?
2) How can I create an "updater" to actually preform the jar replacement? My current solution is simply writing an updater in Java, but I was hoping for something like the installers people are more familiar with.
All of the research I've done has resulted in lackluster results, as 99% of hosting searches result in site hosting results. I just need an update repository with reasonable security. i.e., decent DDoS resistance and not left wide open to the Internet.
Edit: formatting
Easy to do and very foolish cheap with Amazon S3 or Joyent Manta as both support time-limited signed URLs and headers (which can contain a SHA-1 of the file) to check to see if the update is needed before downloading
On startup your app would check the update URL to see if it has changed. If it has changed, download the JARs. Do this before the app loads classes from those JARs. Updating the updater itself will be trickier so consider that an update might need a new update URL to prevent expiry.
I'm developing a desktop java program that takes advantage of an SQLite database to restore some data. I now how to create the database and create my table :
Class.forName("org.sqlite.JDBC");
c = DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:sqlite:mokvoc.db");
stmt = c.createStatement();
String sql = "CREATE TABLE COMPANY " + ...
problem
The problem is that I want to execute this statement just once through the whole life time of the program and specially at the first time that the program runs or during the installation step. Please tell me how can I perform this and is it required to add a new JFrame or I don't now sth like that?
For deploying Java desktop apps., the best option is usually to install the app. using Java Web Start. JWS works on Windows, OS X & *nix.
JWS provides many appealing features including, but not limited to, splash screens, desktop integration, file associations, automatic update (including lazy downloads and programmatic control of updates), partitioning of natives & other resource downloads by platform, architecture or locale, configuration of run-time environment (minimum J2SE version, run-time options, RAM etc.), easy management of common resources using extensions..
That last one is good for deploying the DB API itself. It might be used across a number of different applications.
Populating the DB would best be done as part of the .. above, as seen in the extension installer service. This is run once on install, and again on uninstall.
The ExtensionInstallerService is used by an extension installer to communicate with the JNLP Client. It provides the following type of functionality:
Access to prefered installation location, and other information about the JNLP Client
Manipulation of the JNLP Client's download screen
Methods for updating the JNLP Client with the installed code
A lot depends on your processes...for example, depending on you installation process, you could execute a specific piece of code which builds the database and tables when the application is installed. Many installers do provide the means to do this, but are typically focused on the platform they are designed for (such as executing a .exe on Windows)
OR
You could, when the application is launched, do a check for the existence of the database/tables and do a "first" run setup process
OR
You could pre-create the database and tables and package it as part of the installer...
Connect to the database.
Fetch database metadata from the connection.
You can query the available tables from the database metadata. If you don't find your tables your application is running for the first time. Initialize the database - create tables, insert seed data etc.
I have finished writing a Java Desktop application with a mySQL database. I want to make the application run outside netbeans and let it be installed on other computers. I know about building the project and creating the runnable jar file, however this requires me to export the database itself to the other computer I want the application to run on.
My question is two parts:
1)Is there a way I can create a setup file that also installs the database and the application together?
2)Also my database path is hard coded, does that mean I have to change the code every time I install my application for someone, what is the better way to do that?
Thanks
Yes. You can use some setup builder, like InnoSetup, for example. Personally, however, I like giving my customers a zip file, which they extract wherever they like. The executable jar should be able to handle everything by itself (I like it where there is no need to install the software, just unpack and run).
If it is hardcoded, then yes (but, what do you mean by hardcoded? path to file? ip address?). You should use properties or configuration files for paths and other external things your software depends on. The software should read from those files. Upon startup check for presence of such file(s) - if missing, the user should be shown a window in which the config can be entered.
As for deploying MySQL with your code - consider using a server for that, so that your users are not forced to install MySQL, instead they connect to it over the net. If you need the database only for storing data locally, why not using SQLite or a similar, file-based db engine?
The above answers are just suggestions and more-less reflect the way I am thinking. I would be happy to hear from someone with more experience. Nonetheless, I hope the answers help a little :)
I agree with Sorrow.
If I have to use MySQL, it is normally over the net since I don't want to allow my clients pass through the hazzles of installing MySQL themselves. If however you am stuck with using MySQL locally, investigate MySQL unattended installations + NSIS Installer.
If you can use any db you want, I just use javadb/derby. It comes bundled with most Java installations these days and if not all you need is to add a jar file to you application.
As per 'hardcoding' paths, I really don't understand what you mean. You really don't have 'paths' as it were, I am assuming what you mean is connection string. You don't have to hardcode your connection string, just put some parameters in a properties file and construct your connection string from them.
1) Is there a way I can create a setup file that also installs the database and the application together?
See my answer to Java based Standalone application.
2) Also my database path is hard coded, does that mean I have to change the code every time I install my application for someone, what is the better way to do that?
Have the DB installer pop a JFileChooser to ask the user where they want to install the DB. Store that path using the JNLP API PersistenceService. Here is my demo. of the PersistenceService.
I have a Java app that runs on a Windows mobile device. At startup the app talks to our server to see if any files need updating and downloads them if they do. If any of the files are dlls they need to be stored in a temp directory and the device is rebooted because they might be currently in use. When the app starts it reads an xml file that lists all of the temp files and where they need to go and copies them into place.
A new requirement has come up that involves also updating the JVM files as part of this process. Since the code that does the copying is run on the JVM there is no way to do it since the files will always be in use. So we are looking at writing something in native code to do this copying process.
Before we start, I was just wondering if anyone knew of an already existing application or technique that does this (someone suggested a registry entry that tells the device to copy files on startup for example). Basically the requirement is to read some sort of configuration file that details the location of the source file and the destination then performs the copy. Any ideas before I reinvent the wheel by writing an app myself?
If your target handsets are handheld barcode scanners (Symbol, Intermec, etc.) they already have a framework in place for this. I don't have all the details, but I know from previous projects that they have a "protected" memory location that allows application to essentially re-configure / copy themselves from hard boots and similar problems. It might be worth seeing if any of that would work on your existing targets.
The scanners use either Windows CE or Windows Mobile.
In the absence of another answer, I have written a simple app to do it and put it in the startup directory. Was pretty easy, just didn't want to reinvent the wheel.
You can also rename your running executable file by the running-application itself. After this you can copy the file into the directory and simply restart your application.
Internet Explorer has a file download limit of 4GB (2 GB on IE6). Firefox does not have this problem (haven't tested safari yet)
(More info here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298618)
I am working on a site that will allow the user to download very large files (up to and exceeding 100GB)
What is the best way to do this without using FTP. The end user must be able to download the file from there browser using HTTP. I don't think Flash or Silverlight can save files to the client so as far as I know they won't cut it.
I'm guessing we will need an ActiveX or Java applet to pull this off. Something like the download manager that MSDN uses.
Does anyone know of a commercial (or free) component that will do that? We do not want the user to have to install a "browser wide" download manager (like GetRight), we want it to only work with downloading on our site.
Update: Here is some additional info to help clarify what I'm trying to do. Most of the files above the 4GB limit would be large HD video files (its for a video editing company). These will be downloaded by users across the internet, this isn't going to be people on a local network. We want the files to be available via HTTP (some users are going to be behind firewalls that aren't going to allow FTP, Bittorrent, etc.). The will be a library of files the end user could download, so we aren't talking about a one time large download. The will be download different large files on a semi-regular basis.
So far Vault that #Edmund-Tay suggested is the closest solution. The only problem is that it doesn't work for files larger than 4GB (it instantly fails before starting the download, they are probably using a 32bit integer somewhere which is exceeded/overflown by the content length of the file).
The best solution would be a java applet or ActiveX component, since the problem only exist in IE, that would work like the article #spoulson linked to. However, so far I haven't had any luck finding a solution that does anything like that (multipart downloads, resume, etc.).
It looks like we might have to write our own. Another option would be to write a .Net application (maybe ClickOnce) that is associated with an extension or mime type. Then the user would actually be downloading a small file from the web server that opens in the exe/ClickOnce app that tells the application what file to download. That is how the MSDN downloader works. The end user would then only have to download/install an EXE once. That would be better than downloading an exe every time they wanted to download a large file.
#levand:
My actual preference, as a user, in these situations is to download a lightweight .exe file that downloads the file for you.
That's a dealbreaker for many, many sites. Users either are or should be extremely reluctant to download .exe files from websites and run them willy-nilly. Even if they're not always that cautious, incautious behaviour is not something we should encourage as responsible developers.
If you're working on something along the lines of a company intranet, a .exe is potentially an okay solution, but for the public web? No way.
#TonyB:
What is the best way to do this without using FTP.
I'm sorry, but I have to ask why the requirement. Your question reads to me along the lines of "what's the best way to cook a steak without any meat or heat source?" FTP was designed for this sort of thing.
bittorrent?
There have been a few web-based versions already (bitlet, w3btorrent), and Azureus was built using java, so it's definitely possible.
Edit: #TonyB is it limited to port 80?
Please don't use ActiveX... I am so sick of sites that are only viewable in IE.
My actual preference, as a user, in these situations is to download a lightweight .exe file that downloads the file for you.
Can you split the files into pieces and then rejoin them after the download?
If you don't want to write java code in-house, there are commercial applet solutions available:
Vault
MyDownloder
Both of them have eval versions that you can download and test.
A few ideas:
Blizzard use a light-weight .exe BitTorrent wrapper for their patches. I'm not entirely sure how it is done, but it looks like a branded version of the official BitTorrent client.
Upload to Amazon S3, provide the torrent link of the file (all S3 files are automatically BitTorrent-enabled), plus the full HTTP download link as alternative. See S3 documentation
What about saying "We recommend that you install Free Download Manager to download this file. You will have the added benefit of being able to resume the file and accelerate the download."
Personally I never download anything using the built in browser download tool unless I have to (e.g. Gmail attachments)
#travis
Unfortunately It has to be over HTTP inside the users browser.
I'll update the question to be more clear about that.
#levand
The problem only exist in IE (it works in Firefox) so while ActiveX would only work on IE, IE is the only one we need the work around for.
#travis - interesting idea. Not sure if it will work for what I need but I'll keep it in mind. I'm hoping to find something to integrate with the existing site instead of having to go out to a third party. It would also require me to setup a bittorrent tracker which wouldn't be as easy as it sounds for this application because different users will have different access to different files.
#jjnguy
I'm looking for a java applet or ActiveX component that will do that for me. These are non-technical users so we really just want to have them click download and the full file ends up in the specified location
#ceejayoz
I totally agree but its part of the requirement for our client. There will be FTP access but each user will have the option of downloading via HTTP or FTP. There are some users that will be behind corporate firewalls that don't permit FTP
I have seen other sites do this in the past (MSDN, Adobe) so I was hoping there is something out there already instead of having to make one in house (and learning java and/or ActiveX)
I say click-once installed download manager, similar to msdn.
But becoming a CDN without a more optimized protocol for the job is no easy task. I can't imagine a business model that can be worthwhile enough to have such large file downloads as a core competency unless you are doing something like msdn. If you create a thick client, you at least get the chance to get some more face time with the users, for advertising or some other revenue model, since you will probably be paying in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to host such a service.
The problem with the applet approach mentioned is that unless you have the end user modify their java security properties your applet will not have permission to save to the hard drive.
It may be possible using Java Web Start (aka JNLP). I think that if it is a signed app it can get the extra permission to write to the hard drive. This is not too different from the download an exe approach. The problem with this is that the user has to have the correct version of Java installed and has to have the Java Web Start capability setup correctly.
I would recommend the exe approach as it will be the easiest for the non-technical users to use.
There are some users that will be behind corporate firewalls that don't permit FTP...
Are users with restrictive firewalls like that likely to be permitted to install and run a .exe file from your website?
Take a look at cURL. This article describes how to do a multi-part simultaneous download via HTTP. I've used cURL in the past to manage FTP downloads of files over 300GB.
Another tip: You can boost download times even more if you increase the size of the TCP Window on the client's NIC configuration. Set it as high as the OS allows and you should see up to 2x improvement depending on your physical network. This worked for me on Windows 2000 and 2003 when FTPing over a WAN. The down side is it may increase overhead for all other network traffic that wants only a few KB for a network packet, but is now forced to send/recv in 64KB packets. Your mileage may vary.
Edit: What exactly is this you're trying to accomplish? Who is the audience? I'm assumed for a bit that you're looking to do this over your own network; but you seem to imply the client side is someone on the internet. I think we need clearer requirements.
Create a folder of files to be downloaded on the server where the document service is running (either using Linux commands or using java to execute shell commands)
Write the file to be downloaded to this folder (using Linux command or Java shell command is OK). Considering the efficiency of program execution, WGet command is used here
Package the downloaded folder as a zip file (using shell command), configure nginx agent, return the access file path of nginx to the front end, and then download from the front end.