Jar Bundler Problems

I'm puzzled by the fact that, at least once, you managed to create a working bundle (app).

What may be the difference between that one and the other attempts.

As I said, my attempt to create an app from a single class-jar failed, so I wonder what the difference is.

On Jul 10, I gave you a few links, one of them points at an alternative using the 'ant' program, found on every OSX.

I opened 2 programs I downloaded as .dmg, instaled into .app and I found that the file 'JavaApplicationStub' in the directory MacOS, under Contents, was different for those 2 programs.

I wonder why, as the only thing those must do is to start the JAVA runtime and set the icon.

That brings me to the idea that this 'stub' is a tiny C-program that you could write yourself.

;JOOP!

Hi,

first, do not over-estimate C, C++, C# or Obj-C: please write your applications in JAVA.

You will find out why.

Then, I can not see what's in that stub, but if it were a JAVA program it could be as small as:

public class Stub

{

public static void main() throws IOException

{

Runtime.getRuntime().exec

(

new String[] { "<where is the JAVA runtime", "-jar", "<where is my .jar>",

null,

null

);

}

}

May be there is some extra code to publish the icon, but that should be all.

Of course, when you packed multiple .jar's the commandline would be more complex.

By the way: although I wrote in C for 23 years, I avoid it where I can:

on OSX I write in JAVA, or call some shell command or I even write some shell script.

Clean and quick.

Now, this would be our last resort; let's:

1) find out why one of your bundles works,

2) try the 'ant' program published in one of the links I gave you.

;JOOP!

Because I'm very busy at the moment I found a very strange, temporary, solution:

In Finder, drag your .jar to the dock. Right click it and make it sit there permanently.

Now you can always start your .jar from the dock.

The only problems are: it has always the coffee-cup-icon.

And so does the running application, although the application name is displayed.

;JOOP!

I solved it! I got it running for several of my applications and I could even set one of them as "run at login".

The solution is found in:

http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/technotes/guides/jweb/packagingAppsForMac.h tml

It works as follows:

1) you got your jar, thus ignore everything that still must create a .jar

2) create a directory to work in.

3) put your .jar in this directory.

4) download appbundler-1.0.jar and put it in subdirectory 'lib'.

5) create subdirectory 'output' for the app.

6) get 'ant' (although, it was already present and installed on my Mac from the start).

7) edit build.xml as this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<project name="MyProgram" default="default" basedir=".">

<taskdef name="bundleapp"

classname="com.oracle.appbundler.AppBundlerTask"

classpath="lib/appbundler-1.0.jar" />

<target name="MyProgram">

<bundleapp outputdirectory="output"

name="MyProgram"

displayname="MyProgram application"

identifier="MyProgram"

mainclassname="MyProgram">

<classpath file="MyProgram.jar" />

</bundleapp>

</target>

</project>

8) from the command line (in that directory): ant MyProgram

9) test it in Finder (click the app)

a) replace the default icon in the app under resources by your own .icns icon.

(must be square and the width must be a power of 2, preferred 512x512)

b) edit the info.plist inside the app to address the right icon.

NOTE: you will see in the plist, that the application requires JAVA 6.0,

that's only for deliveries to customers.

From here you can play games:

new icon? just put it there.

new version of your program? just replace the .jar (I did it already).

Success!

;JOOP!

A small correction on my last post:

the identifier field in the build.xml should have a system-unique value.

That means that you should put your name or such in front of the program name

to avoid conflicts with other programs on the system.

Thus something like:

identifier="Arc676.MyProgram"

Read all about it in:

https://java.net/downloads/appbundler/appbundler.html and

http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/general/Reference/InfoPlis tKeyReference/Articles/CoreFoundationKeys.html

Good luck,

;JOOP!

"Obviously the Android folks saw Java's potential in that environment too."

A slew of the folk that worked on Java now work at G. Not surprising given Schmidt is there.

But a little historical note: Java, aka Oak, was designed as an embedded operating environment. Even now ObjC kind of is catching up with some of the basic elements designed into Java. The biggest problem for Java was Sun.

I cut my teeth on pre ANSI C and industrial applications.. I agree about C++, but Java is still one of the cleanest OO languages out there. All of your laments apply to any language. Apply Stugeon's law.

Whom exactly is this post addessed to? Never mind.

;JOOP!

Fellow jaded old hands.

You should check a few things:

I built several app's now, some from a very large and complex .jar

My last build.xml looks:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<project name="MyApplication" default="default" basedir=".">

<taskdef name="bundleapp"

classname="com.oracle.appbundler.AppBundlerTask"

classpath="lib/appbundler-1.0.jar" />

<target name="MyApplication">

<bundleapp outputdirectory="Output"

name="MyApplication"

displayname="MyApplication"

identifier="xy.MyDomain.MyApplication"

icon="/PathToMyApplicationIcon/MyApplication.icns"

mainclassname="MyApplication">

<classpath file="/PatheToMyJarFile/MyApplication.jar" />

</bundleapp>

</target>

</project>

with 'MyApplication', 'xy.MyDomain' and those paths faked.

Now, assuming that you could run the .jar file by itself, check the contents of the produced app:

the .jar file is to be found in : Output/MyApplication.app/Contents/Java/

check that the .jar is the same; you could still run it from there the old way.

Now look in Output/MyApplication.app/Contents/MacOS/

there is 'JavaAppLauncher'.

If you double click that, the application must run, but with an extra terminal window.

If that doesnot work the app is faulty.

It's some time that we started all this, but at this moment I can create app's of all my JAVA programs

and run them, so there must be something weird about your .jar or app structure.

Even my 512x512 .icns icons show up in the dock.

;JOOP!

One more thing: I conclude that an app won't start as an app when the identifier in the build.xml is not unique.

;JOOP!

Hi,

presently everything works for me as I wanted it.

How are you?

;JOOP!