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How to get Java standalone app with eclipse? [duplicate]

I've recently started learning SWT (on class #4, to be precise) due to business requirements, and previously I had been developing with Swing for 2 years.
We deployed Swing applications as jars with resource dependencies. In SWT, what are the deployable forms and equivalents?
I have questions but since my training is online, I'm on a course-ware and there is no instructor, except StackOverflow:
Can SWT apps be deployed as independent EXE's? And what's with the "Eclipse EXE" thing people talk about? Does it mean that all SWT outputs will be Eclipse based EXEs? Or can they be completely independent EXEs?
If the answer to 1 is yes, how does the compiler produce native win32 executable code? This is one area where I'm thoroughly confused. Typically, a deployable jar is fed to the VM which reads the manifest and does its stuff, but an EXE as output? What's really behind the scenes?
How are external resource bundles managed? At the time of deployment?
Internationalization support?
Thanks.

Deploying an SWT application is exactly like deploying a Swing app, with the addition of several jars and a native library. You must currently be using some tool to make exe files for your Swing app; that tool may or may not be competent to also package up a native code library. It is unlikely that the tool is creating 'native win32 executable code'. Rather, it is packaging up Java class files along with the JRE and a stub Windows PE file.
SWT is developed as part of Eclipse. Eclipse has the Rich Client Platform, or RCP. If you build your Java application as an RCP application, you can use the Eclipse tools to generate an executable package for Windows (or anywhere else). It is not a single executable, it's a directory with an executable in it. However, you don't have to use Eclipse to use SWT.
An RCP application has to use much more than just SWT. It has to be constructed as a set of OSGi bundles that depend on the core Eclipse platform. Once you have such a thing running inside Eclipse, there is a wizard in Eclipse that will create a Windows 'executable' (a directory containing your code in JAR file(s), a lot of Eclipse code in JAR files, the JRE, and a PE .exe stub). You can automate that process from ant, though I've never done it myself. You will need to do book-length reading to get up to speed on all of this, I fear.
There no difference between SWT and Swing in terms of resources and internationalization. Other Eclipse-related libraries include an I18N discipline, but not the core SWT. You just use locales and property files as in any other Java application.

SWT is not Eclipse-based, but the Eclipse UI is SWT-based. Eclipse uses the SWT library for its drawing. It is used a GUI library from the Eclipse consortium, available for many systems. If you want to deploy your normal Java Application with an SWT GUI you just add the corresponding libs and .dll's or .so's. Therefore, everything you can do (deployment) with Java respectively speaking Swing, can be done with SWT, if you provide the according libraries. There are tools and ways to compile everything into .exe's but that is not necessarily needed.
I do not really get the Eclipse EXE thing you are talking about, but eclipse just provides a starter exe, which is basically just a wrapper. Otherwise, some people refer to Eclipse RCP als Eclipse EXE but this is not correct. You CAN use the Eclipse RCP to base your App and this would use SWT as UI library. But you can use SWT all by yourself just as library without the Eclipse trail.
I hope this helps.

You can use a java to EXE wrapper like this one http://jsmooth.sourceforge.net/.
Hope it helps.

Basically you need to get your project running with the conventional java -jar command.
Then create an exe bootstrap program that runs the command when you double click it.
Extra things can be done like checking JVM versions inside the exe program.

How to run Java Swing Application outside IDE

I created a small swing application having some GUI components and some java code. When I run it from the IDE, I see GUI open and it works as expected. Now I want to distribute this application to others and it will be run on different machines. I am just wondering as how could I distribute it?
Under project folder, I see following -
-dist
--lib
----some required jar files
--project.jar
-build
--classes
----packagename folder -->UI classes
----projectnamefolder--->projectname.class
--empty
--generated-sources
I am using Windows 7 64 bit with jdk 1.7. Earlier I was able to distribute such apps and they worked from command line or by double clicking .jar file.
Is there anything different in case of swing apps? Kindly suggest.
If I run from command prompt the jar file located under dist folder, it doesn't throw any error but no GUI appears.

Follow these Steps in LINK and other system will need JRE to run.
I think you are missing swing-layout-1.0.jar
To add the Swing Layout Extensions library:
Right-click the project's Libraries node and choose Add Library.
In the Add Library dialog box, select Swing Extensions Layout and click Add Library.
Click OK to close the Project Properties dialog box.
Additional to doing what Shiv suggested, I followed link , and it clicked to me as what was i doing wrong.

Now I want to distribute this application to others and it will be run on different machines. I am just wondering as how could I distribute it?
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.
..sounds cool, would search some tutorials as to see how to use it
The info. page at SO linked above includes the collected knowledge of the SO poster who has the most up-votes for JWS ( me ;) ). It also includes a list of links to tutorials and other information.

How do I run a java application like I would a typical program, using a shortcut?

I'm currently using an IDE for writing a java application and testing it. In the IDE, I can run the application and see how it works. However, how would I run the application using a shortcut, or a jar file?
For example, in order to run my WAMP server, I run the wamp.exe file in the WAMP directory. So, I'm running a single file which launches the entire program. How do I achieve this sort of thing with a java application? I've heard about using a jar file, but I'm unsure about whether that would be the proper way to do this or not.

It depends on the IDE you are using. With eclipse for example, you open up the file tab, select export, open java in the tree, and select runnable jar file. Then fill the interface out and your good to go.

If you are using Eclipse, then you can export your application as a single jar file and run it directly by double clicking
In the Package Explorer view:
Right click on your project
Go to "Export"
Click on "Export as Runnable Jar"
And you are done
And if you are using Netbeans, then follow these steps:
Right click on your project
Click on "Clean and Build"
Now got the directory where your netbeans projects are created( usually it should be "C:\Users\your_user_name\Documents\NetBeansProjects"
Open the directory of your project (directory with the name of your project name)
Open "dist" folder and you'll find the jar file of your application/project there.

Java Web Start is the easiest way to add shortcuts for a desktop app.
Java Web Start (JWS) is the Oracle Corporation technology used to launch rich client (Swing, AWT, SWT) desktop applications directly from a network or internet link. It offers 'one click' installation for platforms that support Java.
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 Java version, configuration of run-time environment (minimum J2SE version, run-time options, RAM etc.), easy management of common resources using extensions..
See also
This answer - the 2 icons on the right "JotPad" & "Star Zoom Animation" are icons installed by JWS.

You can also, just for fun, create a launcher in C++ that launches your executable(the way Limewire did it). A simple console mode C program is given below.
#include <stdlib.h>
int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
system("java YourProgramClassFileNameHere");
return 0;
}
An advanced methodology would require CreateProcess() in win32API or in JNI for your platform.
You can convert it to an executable Jar file(See Abu's answer)
You can also, create a bat file which can run your program: (Windows only)
#echo off
start java YourProgramClassFileNameHere
Or a shell script(BASH)
Also, see here run a executable jar from c++ code

Convert Java Project to .Exe

I've created a game project in NetBeans 6.9, and I want to run the project on another computer. The problem is if NetBeans is not installed on the other computer then surely I cannot run the project.
Therefore I have to convert my project into a .exe that can be run on other computers without having to install NetBeans.
Is there a free application that can convert .java to .exe?
Please help me to convert my project into a .exe file. Thanks.

Check out these official netbeans article for Packaging and Deploying Desktop Java Applications and Developing General Java Applications.
From the article
Running the Application Inside of the IDE
When developing applications in the IDE, typically you will need to test and refine them before distributing them. You can easily test an application that you are working on by running the application from the IDE.
To run the AnotherGrep project in the IDE, right-clicking the project's node (AnotherGrep) in the Projects window and choose Run Project.
The xGrep window should open. You can click the Browse button to choose a file in which to search for a text pattern. In the Search Pattern field, type text or a regular expression pattern that you would like to match, and click Search. The results of each match will appear in the xGrep window's Output area.
Information on regular expressions that you can use in this application are available here and in many other places on the World Wide Web.
Running the Application Outside of the IDE
Once you have finished developing the application and before you distribute it, you will probably want to make sure that the application also works outside of the IDE.
You can run the application outside of the IDE by following these steps:
In your system's file manager (for example, in the My Computer window on Windows XP systems), navigate to PROJECT_HOME/dist and double-click the AnotherGrep.jar file.
You will know that the application has started successfully when the xGrep window opens.
If the xGrep window does not open, your system probably does not have a file association between JAR files and the Java Runtime Environment. See Troubleshooting JAR File Associations.
Distributing the Application to Other Users
Now that you have verified that the application works outside of the IDE, you are ready to distribute it.
You can distribute the application by following these steps:
1: Create a zip file that contains the application JAR file (AnotherGrep.jar) and the accompanying lib folder that contains swing-layout-1.0.jar.
2: Send the file to the people who will use the application. Instruct them to unpack the zip file, making sure that the AnotherGrep.jar file and the lib folder are in the same folder.
The users of your application should be able to run it by double-clicking the JAR file. If this does not work for them, show them the information in the Troubleshooting JAR File Associations section.
Also some third party tools like Launch4j may do the trick. For more information see this article on java-to-exe

See Launch4j. I dislike starting java apps with a batch file. This wraps anything from the root jar all the way up to a complete Java environment in an exe. You get your own icon in the system tray rather than the generic coffee cup. I've used it successfully on a project that has about 300,000 downloads, and it's never been the source of a reported bug. NB It does take some careful reading to pick the right options for your project. But you can set it up with the Ant build script in Netbeans to make the .exe automatically. Very nice and clean. My project includes native libraries. They work fine as well.

I think the NSIS will help you . Most of the applications using NSIS. Because it is open source.
Also there is a Eclipse plugin for NSIS to make the process easy.
http://hmne.sourceforge.net/

Creating a stand alone Java application

Is it possible to create a stand alone application in Java (using Swing) and package it into an exe file?
My Idea is, we should be able to double click it and run the application.

If you export a runnable .jar file you will be able to double click and run, but you'll still need the JVM in order to interpret the bytecode.

The best way to deploy a Swing based app. to a client's desktop is using Java Web Start.
JWS offers desktop integration - making a desktop shortcut and menu item, each using an icon if specified. The end use can double-click the desktop shortcut cut to launch the app. ( or single-click the menu item to do the same ;).
Best of all, JWS works for all platforms for which the J2SE is supplied. Windows, Ubuntu, Fedora, Solaris, Mac. OS..
For ensuring the user has the correct minimum JRE needed to run the app., use deployJava.js to write the link to the JNLP launch file.

If you export your project in a .jar file, you will be able to run it when you click on it.
I suppose that you know that you must have the virtual machine installed in the computer that runs the program.(The virtual machine is the thing that allows java to be operative system independent)
And also you must know that if you transform that .jar to an .exe file using some kind of gadget... Then java will not be java anymore, because will not be able to run it in non-windows operative systems.
Remember java slogan
'Write once run everywhere"
See this image here i will explain you how to create a .jar using the eclipse IDE:
1-Select your project in the package explorer
2-Select File>Export from the menu
3-Pick Runnable JAR file from the dialog and
4-Click next and follow the rest of the wizard

You can package your application to JAR file. Application in jar file runs on duoble click.
Here is tutorial. http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/jar/

You can already do this with a normal .jar file if the user has configured the extension to be executed with the JRE. But you can always use something like Launch4J. Please Note this simply wraps the Jar in a EXE file. The file still needs your Dependencies (.jars) and the JRE enviroment.