How do I make NetBeans search for my files in the src folder instead of the dist folder?

Question

I'm using JavaFX to create an application. Every time time I try to run it, I get a LoadException . The problem is that when I try to run this code, for example:

public void start(Stage stage) throws Exception 
{
    Parent root = FXMLLoader.load(getClass().getResource("MainTabPane.fxml"));

    Scene scene = new Scene(root);

    stage.setScene(scene);
    stage.show();
    stage.setTitle("Global Car Trading");
}

It searches for the MainTabPane.fxml using this path:

file:/C:/Users/Jesper/Documents/NetBeansProjects/3semester/trunk/dist/GlobalCarTrading.jar!/GUI/MainTabPane.fxml

But the file is not located in the dist folder, it's located in the src folder. How do I fix this?

Location of fxml and class files: C:\\Users\\Jesper\\Documents\\NetBeansProjects\\3semester\\trunk\\src\\GUI

When the code is

Parent root = FXMLLoader.load(getClass().getResource("GUI/MainTabPane.fxml"));:

I get the following exceptions:

Exception in Application start method
java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at         sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:483)
at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplicationWithArgs(LauncherImpl.java:363)
at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplication(LauncherImpl.java:303)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:483)
at sun.launcher.LauncherHelper$FXHelper.main(LauncherHelper.java:767)
Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: Exception in Application start method
at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplication1(LauncherImpl.java:875)
at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.lambda$launchApplication$147(LauncherImpl.java:157)
at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl$$Lambda$48/1268447657.run(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException: Location is required.
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3201)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3169)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3142)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3118)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3098)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.load(FXMLLoader.java:3091)
at GUI.GlobalCarTrading.start(GlobalCarTrading.java:23)
at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.lambda$launchApplication1$153(LauncherImpl.java:821)
at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl$$Lambda$51/1715882599.run(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runAndWait$166(PlatformImpl.java:323)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl$$Lambda$45/128893786.run(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$null$164(PlatformImpl.java:292)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl$$Lambda$47/1127003017.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$165(PlatformImpl.java:291)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl$$Lambda$46/1108411398.run(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.glass.ui.InvokeLaterDispatcher$Future.run(InvokeLaterDispatcher.java:95)
at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method)
at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$null$141(WinApplication.java:102)
at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication$$Lambda$37/1147985808.run(Unknown Source)
... 1 more
Exception running application GUI.GlobalCarTrading

When I remove the "GUI/" part, like this:

Parent root = FXMLLoader.load(getClass().getResource("MainTabPane.fxml"));:

I also get this exception:

Caused by: javafx.fxml.LoadException:   file:/C:/Users/Jesper/Documents/NetBeansProjects/3semester/trunk/dist/GlobalCarTrading.jar!/GUI/MainTabPane.fxml

at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.constructLoadException(FXMLLoader.java:2595)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:2573)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:2435)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3208)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3169)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3142)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3118)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.loadImpl(FXMLLoader.java:3098)
at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader.load(FXMLLoader.java:3091)
at GUI.GlobalCarTrading.start(GlobalCarTrading.java:23)
at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.lambda$launchApplication1$153(LauncherImpl.java:821)
at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl$$Lambda$51/281867444.run(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runAndWait$166(PlatformImpl.java:323)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl$$Lambda$45/128893786.run(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$null$164(PlatformImpl.java:292)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl$$Lambda$47/170597113.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$165(PlatformImpl.java:291)
at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl$$Lambda$46/1108411398.run(Unknown Source)
at com.sun.glass.ui.InvokeLaterDispatcher$Future.run(InvokeLaterDispatcher.java:95)
at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method)
at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$null$141(WinApplication.java:102)
at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication$$Lambda$37/1147985808.run(Unknown Source)
... 1 more

Answer 1

It is not looking for the file in the dist folder it is looking for the resource in the Jar in the dist folder. Jar files are actually zip files and can have files and directories within them. This is the correct place for it to look since when you distribute the application the user will need access to the .fxml file and not have your source. Files in you source directory are stored in the jar file when the jar is built. You can make this code work by placing the MainTabPane.fxml in the same directory as this class which appears to be the src/GUI directory. Another option would be to use:

Parent root = FXMLLoader.load(ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader().getSystemResource("MainTabPane.fxml"));

This will also get MainTabPane.fxml from the jar file in the dist folder, but it will get it from the top-level directory within the jar file where files from the src directory are stored instead of the GUI subdirectory within the jar.

Answer 2

getClass() gets the class from which it is called. If the resource is in the same folder/package you can directly get it with getResource("file"). If the file is in a parent folder/package or in a different folder/package you can call getClass().getResource("../foo/file"). This might not be the best solution but it works.