Deploying Java GUI Applications

See Also

In order for the applications that you create to work outside of the IDE, you might have to include some extra JAR files when you deploy the application.

The swing-layout-1.0.3.jar file might be needed by your deployed applications. This library contains the various layout-related extensions, such as the GroupLayout layout manager. This library is included in version 6 of the Java Platform, so you do not need to package it with your application if you are deploying it to environments that have version 6 of the JRE.

As of JDK 6, the Beans Binding library is not part of the Java Platform.

Preparing a GUI Application for Distribution

To ensure that your GUI application can reference these libraries at runtime, the IDE automatically copies the library JAR files (and any other JAR files on the project's classpath) to the dist/lib folder whenever you build the project. The IDE also adds each of the JAR files to the Class-Path element in the application JAR's manifest.mf file.

To prepare your GUI application for distribution outside of the IDE:

Running a Standalone GUI Application

Once you have distributed an archive of your GUI application, your application can be run outside of the IDE from the command line.

To run a standalone GUI application from the command line:

  1. Navigate to the project's dist folder.
  2. Type the following:
    java -jar jar_name.jar
See Also
Preparing a JAR for Deployment Outside the IDE
Designing Java GUIs with the GUI Builder
GUI Builder Tasks: Quick Reference

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