Re: Not too clear on the libraries available at run time

One of the fundamental problems with Java is that you double click on
an executable jar... and nothing happens. Or perhaps the program does
start but then it stops working, when you click on a button or menu.

Compare with an *.exe file. You double click on it, and it works.

My Java programs work beautifully when I start them from inside
JBuilder, NetBeans or Eclipse.

When I was a newbie, I made a decision: "let's just put every single
needed library in the jar file". After all, my programs were simple
and small at the time.

In Unix, you just place any ancillary stuff (*.so or *.a) under /usr/
local and a lot of programs work properly. With Java (on Windows, BTW)
where the hell am I supposed to place the third party jar libraries?

My current application is based on OpenOffice. There are 4
indispensable files:

 - juh.jar
 - jurt.jar
 - ridl.jar
 - unoil.jar

Eclipse doesn't seem to like my idea of stuffing those in the final
executable jar. So, let's try placing them in the directory:

C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\lib\ext

Because I have a vague recollection (no book, no tutorial mentions
this) that such place is special.

I double click and... it doesn't work.

I would like to send my application as an attachment to some friends.
All I can guarantee is that they have Java in their Windows PCs. They
will not mess around with their PATH.

This simple fact that I am describing here must have turned a whole
lot of people away from Java...