Create Executable problem

[castiel]

Hey I've written a small game program with swing in Eclipse and I created a jar file with the program too. Now when I double click on the jar file it runs the game which is good. I copied the jar file to my usb and tried to see if it would work on my dad's computer and it did. But when I took the file to my friends place the jar file had turned into a winrar file and I couldn't run it. How come it has changed? I really want to make this a simple .exe file so I can give the game to my friends and they can all play it but how do I do this. I've googled this but it's been very confusing.

Thanks

[m00nchile]

Two things are possible, either your friend doesn't have JRE installed, or he has installed JRE, but changed the default program to open .jar files from java to winrar.

[r035198x]

If you make it a .exe then only your windows friends can use it.

[castiel]

The friends that I wanted to give the game to have Windows XP and Windows Vista so that is fine. So if you wouldn't mind either explaining the steps I need to take to create the .exe file or perhaps provide me with a good link I would really appreciate it.

Cheers

[r035198x]

Creating a.exe is not going to automatically make the JRE available on their computer.
It is still going to be needed so rather stick to the more portable jar file.
If you insist on creating the .exe then you can google the many tools that are available for the conversion and read their manuals.

[castiel]

Could you give me the link to which JRE to get my friend to download, there seem to be quite a lot of options. i was looking at this page Java SE Downloads - Sun Developer Network (SDN)
but not sure if that's what i need? thanks 4 the help

[r035198x]

Hover your mouse over the underlined JRE link to get the information.
Realize though that it could be that the JRE is already there but jar files have not been assciated with it.

[castiel]

Ok, so how does one create the association?

[r035198x]

It's OS specific.

[castiel]

Well one friend has XP the other has Vista,

tanx

[r035198x]

Haven't we reached that point where you now need to do some investigations of your own?

[castiel]

Sorry about that r035198x, I really appreciate the help you've been giving me and I'll look into gettin this to work on my friends computer. I'll jst head over to their house 2morrow and see if I can get it to work somehow. sorry again, I was just hoping to be able to give them some quick instructions 2 get it working. Yeh I know that asking very stupid questions without doing my own research was wrong of me and I have abused your kindness in helping me.

Well thanks again :)

[JosAH]

Sorry about that r035198x, I really appreciate the help you've been giving me and I'll look into gettin this to work on my friends computer. I'll jst head over to their house 2morrow and see if I can get it to work somehow. sorry again, I was just hoping to be able to give them some quick instructions 2 get it working. Yeh I know that asking very stupid questions without doing my own research was wrong of me and I have abused your kindness in helping me.

The best quick instructions are: "install an up-to-date JRE". If he already did so, fix the .jar file association so it can be run with a single button click.

Otherwise it would be like asking "I want to give a program to my mom but she doesn't have a computer but she does have a vacuum cleaner, what should I do?"

kind regards,

Jos

[castiel]

Alright cheers, I'll give that a go :)