Hi Alan, It sounds like you are targeting the Windows platform only and you need tight integration into that platform, so I guess the obvious question no-one has asked yet is why do you want to create a Java application and not a native one? Understanding your motives for using Java would help ensure you get the right advice (right tool for the job and all that)!
Cheers, Craig. On Jan 20, 8:34 am, Steven Herod <[email protected]> wrote: > I think deploying a Windows application on Window's often isn't that > easy :o) Once you get into deploying data access stuff and so on you > wind up nearly having to upgrade the users PC. At least a java app > is (almost) an unzip the files and go thing (once that pesky JRE is > installed). > > Eclipse RCP goes along way towards giving a native experience with > lots of value add services, but its a pretty hefty elephant to tackle. > > JavaFX isn't going to help you, not for doing a traditional desktop > app, it has little in the way of layout managers, data entry controls > (they are just wrapped Swing controls - and even then, not all of > them), and is mainly aimed at graphical stuff (I know, I've been > building a Twitter client in JavaFX for the past 5 weeks). > > For doing alot of the plumbing on installation, check out Advanced > Installer by Caphyon(?), it will turn a java app into a .exe, create > shorts cuts, install services, and deploy a JRE. It also has a > command line executable you can script into your builds. And its > relatively inexpensive (for a company to purchase). > > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
