> > >For #8: > > >We should add that all jars should have a manifest (but without > > >Class-Path). Ant can autogenerate a manifest, or does, I forget? > > > > BTW: I never yet touched Manifests, what are they actually for? :) > > Manifests are a child of java applets. Sun needed a place to put > metadata info like classpathes in single-jar applets and thus Manifests > were born. > > They are mostly useless in a non applet context.
Are you sure about that? I believe I have also used a manifest when creating a standalone executable-in-a-jar (to be run with 'java -jar'). Ah, yes, I did remember that correctly: http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/jar/basics/manifest.html This page says, "[i]f you're interested only in the 'ZIP-like' features of JAR files such as compression and archiving, you don't have to worry about the manifest file. The manifest doesn't really play a role in those situations." However, for Java 1.2, the manifest apparently allows you to do things like seal the JAR, create applications bundled in a JAR file, etc. So, the manifest is not quite mostly-useless in a non-applet context. :-) KEN -- Kenneth J. Pronovici <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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