在NetBeans 7.4中创建一个（便携式）jar文件，该文件能够找到目录的路径

Question

Back in the 2000s, I created a java package which I subdivided into the following 4 directories:

• A source code directory (*.java)
• An image directory (containing exclusively *.gif for my GUI)
• A parameter directory (containing text files, to which the package writes (output) and from which the package reads (input))
• A database directory (containing data in text files which the package reads)

Back then, I created a *.jar with the source code directory (only). The jar was able to access the information in the three other directories, just by placing the 4 directories in the same folder (and specifying paths relative to the folder in the source code). Importantly, I could zip up the folder and migrate it to another computer and have a fully working package. The source code in the jar uses such expressions as:

• ImageIcon A = new ImageIcon(..."A.gif");
• BufferedReader B = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(...."aGivenFileName"));

to access information in the 3 external directories.

Recently, I have created a project in NetBeans IDE 7.4 by importing my old package. The new jar file finds the paths to the other 3 directories only if I hardwire the full paths (C:..) to the 3 directories in the source code. (Obviously, the package is no longer portable to other computers.) How can the new java 7.4 jar file find the relative paths to the 3 directories which would allow my package to be portable, again? (I have also tried bundling all four directories into the one jar file but that does not get me anywhere.) Thank you.

Answer 1

Netbeans has the final result (including everything) ready to be distributed in the dist subdirectory. If you have special pathes you should include them in the manifest inside the Jar (see here ).

If you want Netbeans to do that automatically, you can add those sub-directories as resources or libraries, so Netbeans will copy them automatically and set the manifest accordingly.