Compiling with external libraries

[sublixt]

I have a few jars that I am using with my program as external library. In eclipse it runs fine, but when I export it as a runnable jar file it doesn't. How do I tell java without command line arguments where to look for these jars?

[doWhile]

Use the classpath command line option for java to point the jar's. Depending upon the licenses of the external libraries, you could also export the runnable jar from eclipse with the libraries packaged within your jar (when you exporta Runnable jar, you should be presented with an option to package required libraries).

[sublixt]

Is this the only way of doing it? What I mean is there a way for me to double click on the jar and have it run?

[doWhile]

Is this the only way of doing it? What I mean is there a way for me to double click on the jar and have it run?

Specify the relative path to the libraries within the Manifest file. See Adding Classes to the JAR File's Classpath (The Java™ Tutorials > Deployment > Packaging Programs in JAR Files)

[Tolls]

Use the classpath command line option for java to point the jar's. Depending upon the licenses of the external libraries, you could also export the runnable jar from eclipse with the libraries packaged within your jar (when you exporta Runnable jar, you should be presented with an option to package required libraries).

It's a runnable jar, so the -cp option is not useable if executed as 'java -jar'. Only the classpath in the manifest is used.

As for packaging them in the jar itself (ie unzipping them), though that can produce a working jar file, it's a real hack when they should simply be distributed with the jar file itself. It's not exactly complex to produce a distribution folder, and I'm sure Eclipse can do that.

[doWhile]

It's a runnable jar, so the -cp option is not useable if executed as 'java -jar'. Only the classpath in the manifest is used.

It is not ignored when not using the -jar option (eg passing the main class name instead) - I should have specified more clearly in my earlier post.

As for packaging them in the jar itself (ie unzipping them), though that can produce a working jar file, it's a real hack when they should simply be distributed with the jar file itself. It's not exactly complex to produce a distribution folder, and I'm sure Eclipse can do that.

Agreed. Hence post 4