Java 2 EXE?

alexraasch · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 11:41 am Post subject: Java 2 EXE?

I have written a Java program that I wanto to give to a colleague of mine. Unfortunately, he runs Windows with a jre of 1.3 or so. My program is 1.5 source. How can I make an exe file for him that includes jre 1.5? Is it possible at all?

Denkino · n00b Joined: 26 Nov 2004 Posts: 26

alexraasch · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:58 pm Post subject:

Sorry, that won't work because if you write 1.5 source files you need a 1.5 jre to run it. 1.5 includes many features that older versions don't. What about gcj? Have you ever used it?

alexraasch · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:43 pm Post subject:

I just checked the gcj homepage. Seems as if major things like all the gui stuff is still missing in the gcj library, so that's not my soution either. :cry:

Denkino · n00b Joined: 26 Nov 2004 Posts: 26

Oh, ok, wasn't aware that it was an issue of what classes/methods you used..

but, i guess, the bigger issue is why doesn't your recipient want to upgrade? and why can't they just download the free sun jre themselves?

alexraasch · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:40 pm Post subject:

The problem is he's a computer beginner and I don't think he's able to do the update. Furthermore, the program is intended to be used by many other users who don't know much about computers either. That's why I want everything to be as simple as possible: double-click the exe and go!

avendesora · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:56 pm Post subject:

I don't think that's possible. Sun doesn't allow you to redistribute their JREs (or JDKs). IBM does the same thing.
Blackdown probably would, but I'm not sure where they are at with 1.5 support, and they don't ship for windows.
GCJ not quite there yet as has been mentionned, even on Linux/UNIX type OS.

Either rewrite so that your code is 1.3 compliant, or have people update their VMs. (Make a nice HOWTO if they
don't know how to do it.)

robbyjo · Guru Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Posts: 462

Use this trick:
Make an executable launcher that invoke java along with the necessary options and the jar file. You can construct one using Java and compile it with GCJ or you can use C/C++. Take your pick. Generally, the launcher contents is like this:

UncleOwen · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 8:33 pm Post subject:

I fail to see how this would magically convert a JRE1.3 into a JRE5.

hackerssidekick · n00b Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 3 Location: New Zealand

UncleOwen · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 12:25 pm Post subject:

What if the code contains classes that were not present in 1.3? e.g. enums...

robbyjo · Guru Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Posts: 462

hackerssidekick · n00b Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 3 Location: New Zealand

robbyjo · Guru Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Posts: 462

There are bunch of new classes in JDK 1.5, such as StringBuilder and stuffs.

Catch-22 · Apprentice Joined: 22 Oct 2004 Posts: 244

I don't see an easy way to get what you want.
You might want to consider writing your own implementations of the 1.5-only API libraries that you're using or remove your code's dependency on them all together.

incabolocabus · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 11:22 pm Post subject: