JAVA application residing on the windows tool bar!

[rameshraj]

I want my java application to reside on the tools bar like the windows messenger and so on.Can i do this without a third party tool?or what would be the best tool for this?Any idea?

[Eranga]

You mean adding a tray icon? Or scrolling windows like messenger?

[rameshraj]

Yes u r right.Can u help me?Can u provide some sample codes?

[Eranga]

Try this,

Code:

import java.awt.AWTException;
import java.awt.Image;
import java.awt.Menu;
import java.awt.MenuItem;
import java.awt.PopupMenu;
import java.awt.SystemTray;
import java.awt.Toolkit;
import java.awt.TrayIcon;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;

/**
 *
 * @author Eranga Tennakoon
 */
public class rameshraj {

    TrayIcon trayIcon;
    /**
     * @param args the command line arguments
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // TODO code application logic here
        new rameshraj().trayIconTest();
    }
    
    private void trayIconTest() {
        if (SystemTray.isSupported()) {
            try {
                SystemTray tray = SystemTray.getSystemTray();
                
                ActionListener exitListener = new ActionListener(){
                    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
                        System.exit(0);
                    }
                };
                
                PopupMenu popup = new PopupMenu();
                MenuItem _one = new MenuItem("Exit");
                Menu _two = new Menu("Item_Two");
                
                _one.addActionListener(exitListener);
                
                popup.add(_one);
                popup.add(_two);
                
                Image image = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getImage("RADAR.png");
                trayIcon = new TrayIcon(image, "Java", popup);
                trayIcon.setImageAutoSize(true);

                
                tray.add(trayIcon);
            }
            catch (AWTException e) 
            {
                System.err.println("TrayIcon could not be added.");
            }
        }
        else {
            System.err.println("SystemTray is not supported.");
        }
    }

}

[danielstoner]

It is funny if you want to see almost the SAME way of doing it look here:
More desktop integration: the system tray | Little Tutorials

[rameshraj]

Thank s for all of you.Actually I got good idea about the tray icon.But now can I be sure that after the OS starts the application resides in the toolbar as the tray icon or I need to run it manually every time the computer starts?

[Eranga]

Implement your application in startup folder.

[rameshraj]

For instance i have the application as a jar file: test.jar.
Now where to put the jar file?There are many startup folders one for each application that are installed on the machine.
Can u clarify me where to put the jar file and more about the startup folder?

[danielstoner]

If you put it in the startup folder (there is one startup folder per user) the application will only run when somebody logs into the machine. Your solution is to run your application as a Windows Service as I said before in another thread. Unless you run on Windows 95 and you can use the RunServices Registry key.

[Eranga]

Yes, as daniel says if you have many users on a single PC, need to include in each startup folder. It's not easy at all. So best thing is use a Windows Service.

Why I talking about the startup folder is, if you can build a executable file easily you can define the place where you want to install the application.

[rameshraj]

but how can this be done can u explain with some examples?

[Eranga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rameshraj

but how can this be done

Windows service? or Executable file?

[rameshraj]

how to add the jar or exe to the windows service without using any third party tool?I have been asking so far but only rounded answers are coming,can we come to the point?

[Eranga]

No need to add the jar/exe to the service. What you can do is, execute a process on it.

[rameshraj]

can u show how?Ex how to start the application as service?

[Eranga]

Did you Google it. You can find a lot about that on the web.

[danielstoner]

The point is that you have to use a third party tool or to write a service yourself. To write a service yourself it is not easy if you don't know C/C++ and Windows programming.

[Eranga]

And also you can use .Net as well. Most popular way to write windows services. Isn't it Daniel?

[danielstoner]

It might very well be Eranga but I stopped being a Windows programmer before .NET was out on the market so I never had the pleasure

[Eranga]

Ah, even me too, initially dealing with C++ and later move to .Net. Seems not bad actually, much easy to work with.