Hi Alan, Firstly, from what I have read and understand, you can do all of what you want to do in Java.
Java applications can easily be setup to run as a windows service, using many available libraries, I have personally used the Tanuki Service Wrapper, which we also integrated into an MSI installer (http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.org/doc/english/download.jsp). As far as I know, JNI is still the method of choice to invoke native libraries through Java. But have not had much experience in this area, so cannot really comment to much. You can easily bundle a version of the JRE with your app and make sure that your app uses this is needed, your startup script (BAT file for example) just needs to specify the JRE manually. JavaFX is a complete desktop application development framework, you can do a lot with it and it will continue to grow and grow overtime to make it more comprehensive. JavaFX has full access to absolutely all Java libraries, as it runs on the java platform, so creating a standard old java library that using JNI can be referenced and used in a JavaFX application very simply, see my blog post for a bit of an idea behind this: http://markmacumber.blogspot.com/2008/12/using-java-with-javafx.html I hope this information helps you out here... Cheers, Mark On Jan 20, 3:18 pm, Alan Kent <[email protected]> wrote: > While no Java 7, there has been lots of new stuff like Java update 10, > the new applet plug-in, the new deployment options, JavaFX and so on. > From what I understand is available, I think I still cannot do a good > native Windows application easily in Java alone. For example: > > * I want some part of the code to start up when the machine reboots > (a background service - no UI) > * I want to access some C/C++ APIs exposed via DLLs (is JNI still > the solution of choice here? Do signed DLLs help with deployment > options?) > * I want to use Java - do I need to supply a JRE or is there a > standard way to find (and require) a locally installed one of a > particular release level? > > I think the real challenge is doing all of the above at the same time. > > My understanding is I can (probably): > > * Use the new deployment stuff (JNLP?) to get my Java code onto the > desktop, requiring a certain JRE level be available and in my path > * Use JNI to talk to native platform DLLs, then sign a JNI packaged > bundle to allow it to be downloaded and run via the above > deployment option > * Use something like 'Wrapper' to allow my program to start up at > machine reboot > > It just is not yet clear I can easily develop and write an entire > Windows application purely in Java without having to worry about lots of > plumbing. I want some code running at machine reboot in the background, > and some code when the user runs a program (with a pretty UI on the > front). Does JavaFX enable complete desktop Java applications to be > developed and deployed in practice? (I think the need to talk to some > DLLs adds a real problem here - and yes, it is mandatory to the > application I am looking at.) > > Currently I am thinking I probably need a EXE to wrap the Java program, > with a standard Windows installer as a result. So if you want to write > a Windows application integrating with the OS reasonably well, you > cannot just write Java code - you have to do more. I am hoping I am wrong! > > Thanks! > Alan --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
