Re: Cross-platform installer package?
Lionel wrote:
....
Also, does JWS provide an install builder?
I do not know quite what you mean by 'install builder'.
...Will it automatically create
links to desktop on windows, linux, unix and eventually Mac?
No. It will do that now.
Or rather, it will *offer* the user desktop shortcuts and..
..Will it add
entries to start menu?
(Yes) ..start menu intem (both with associated icons, and the
menu item in optional 'sub' menu).
The 'offer' part of it is neat - I can suggest to the end user
via the JNLP that either one or both (or neither) of desktop
shortcut and menu item might be useful for the application.
The end-user gets to choose (on a case-by-case, or
permanent basis - if they tick the checkbox) whether to
include it.
...Is it possible to achieve everything that is
stated it can do without an Internet connection, just a CD?
Yes. I've never tried it, but I understand it is possible.
I haven't found any clear cut tutorials which makes it harder for me to
just get the job done.
Sun's site sucks.
I regularly have difficulty finding documents that I know are there,
and for which have a number of keywords. I usually use Google
to search Sun's site (specifying java.sun.com as the domain),
since it also returns results much faster than Sun's search page..
Here is one of the 'seminal' documents (for me) in relation
to WebStart.
Most of it is in the 1.5 developers guide - overview here..
<http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/guide/javaws/developersguide/contents.html>
The parts that told me most about the abilities of WebStart, were ..
1) The elements offered in the JNLP
<http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/guide/javaws/developersguide/syntax.html>
2) Detecting JWS and correctly launching the JNLP is described here..
<http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/guide/javaws/developersguide/launch.html>
I'm still open, but I am proceeding incredibly happily with IJ because
it can do everything I want, and I get to learn a bit of Tcl/Tk :).
Fair enough. At the moment I mostly use JWS, but occasionally
throw up a 'jar with manifest' (which is fine when you can expect
the client to have Java) to wrapping Java projects (screensavers)
in an installer .exe (for Win. deployment - we use alternate
installation
mechanism for *nix - Mac's are not currently supported) using the
NullSoft installer - which sounds very similar to IJ.
...It is wonderful that there are so many (free) deployment options.
:-)
Andrew T.