Help with a Jar File

[jkruer01]

Hey Everyone,

I found an opensource Java project which calculates solunar table/times. I found it here: SourceForge.net: Java Solunar Lib - Project Web Hosting - Open Source Software

I have downloaded the jar file and looked at the source code. I am fairly new to Java. I took 2 or 3 java classes when I was in college but that has been about 10 years ago. I remember the very basics but that is about it.

I want to create a basic command line program that will ask the user for the year, month, date, latitude, and longitude and then use this jar file to calculate the solunar times.

I am comfortable with creating a basic java program and prompting the user for year, month, date, latitude, and longitude and storing the input in variables.

However, what I am not sure about is:
1)How do I import/include this jar file into my program so I can use its classes?
2)How do I actually call the jar file and pass the variables to it and receive its output?

Any help would be greatly appreciated because there is virtually no documentation that goes along with the jar file.

Thanks!
Jeremy

[DarrylBurke]

1)How do I import/include this jar file into my program so I can use its classes?

You include the jar file on your compile time and run time classpath.

2)How do I actually call the jar file and pass the variables to it and receive its output?

You don't call a jar file. You use the classes in the jar and call their constructors/methods/fields.

Search the net for Java Classpath for more information on how to use it with the command line -cp flag and from a jar manifest.

db

[paulski]

I too downloaded solunar.jar and got nowhere. No documentation and no idea how it should work.

Then from sourcforge I got the whole sources tarball

In the package is a "Test.java" file.

I copied Test.java to../javasolunarlib/branches/javasolunarlib1.01/src/

Then using the wonderful tool Drjava (also from sourceforge) I compiled Test.java and all the other .java bits in:
../javasolunarlib/branches/javasolunarlib1.01/src/org/redout/solunarlib/
such as :
AstroWorkflow.java

and the rest.

Looking at the source code of Test.java the date and latitude and longitude are already hard coded. (Date 2010, 10, 4)

I got it to run, added some notes myself as to what is what "i.e. "sunrise" "major times" etc. and had a simple solunar tables program- albeit ugly.

I can't program Java yet so making it user friendly is the job of someone with more experience. At least that code doing all the work is there and works somehow.

I think jkruer01 you could build on Test.jar using basic Java knowledge and have something that does the job. If you do share it please!


Example of the output with my notes added in:

2010 10 4
2455473.5
0.041666666666666664
55472.958333333336
Sunrise
13:19
Sunset
0:58
Sun-transit
19:08
moonrise
9:28
moonset
22:57
moontransit
16:19
moon under foot
3:11
moonphase
Waning Crescent
moon illumination
15.675909994254638
phase age
24.10401954195298
minors
8:28 - 10:28
minors
21:57 - 23:57
majors start end
14:49 - 17:49
majors start end
1:41 - 4:41
day scale
0