NetBeans & .exe's / bin files

[torac]

Hey guys,
There are really no forum's that would directly relate to this question so I think this would be the best one because of the free NetBeans IDE. In Netbeans windows & linux is there a way to create an exe or bin files so the user can run it, instead of creating .jar files or class files? I am looking to deploy a java windows program and trying to find out how i would do so with or without an installer program such as wise or install shield. Anyone know how i would go about this, or how it is done in the corporate world. Thanks for your help guys.

-Torac

[Scott Tiger]

Java don't create .exe's natively.

You could write yourself a batch file (.bat - in Windows it's just an executable text file) that would execute the program for you. The same goes with Linux. You'd have to write yourself a small program in another language if you want to create an .exe that would launch you Java based program for you.

Not sure about the installer part though. There are quite a few out there though that are free and that would probably work with Java if necessary. I Googled "free Java installer" and got this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...installer+java

so I'd say you've got some options in that area.

[amtrac24]

so if i would deploy a java desktop application, how would the user run it (without converting it to an exe file). Would they click on the class file. For example the only way i know how to run a java application outside of an IDE such as net beans would be to implement as an applet in a web browser. Is there any other way to have a java program such as an icon on a desktop launching it to the class file??? anyone java developers know? or anyone else?

[Scott Tiger]

The two ways we do it at work is either with the batch file mentioned above or we use Webstart. If you can get a Java App server up and running Webstart is really cool. Unless you have to change out the JRE then rolling out updates is pretty much automated.

[torac]

web start is free or no?