Questions & Answers About JExpress
What are the advantages of JExpress over the competition?
JExpress provides all of these features in one product:
- Autoupdate your customers
- Cross platform installations
- Makes your Java apps double clickable on Mac OS X
- Supports custom JVM bundles
- Installs the JVM
- Eliminates unused classes
- Builds the JAR file and directory tree for you
- Creates a backup of your previous version on your web site
- Uploads your new installers to your web site
- Gives you I18N multilingual installers, updaters, and uninstallers
- Handles installers for Java servlets
- Supports multiple install types, such as Typical, Compact, and Full
- Creates multiple product installers
- One click installation from the web
Can JExpress make my Java app an EXE on Windows?
Yes. JExpress creates an EXE on Windows for your Java app so customers don't need to know anything about Java. Plus, if your customer installs on Mac OS X, your app is launched for a native APP icon. Linux, Solaris, and other Unix users have a double clickable script to launch your app.
Is JExpress only a Java installer?
No. JExpress leaves simple installers far behind. A click sends your new installers to your web site, and creates the HTML to guide users to the right one for their platform. The updater lets you distribute updates to your customers completely automatically, or if you prefer, on demand. You get beautiful and powerful installers with no programming. If you find you need something really special, you can customize your installers and updaters using simple Java.
Of course, you design your professional installers through a GUI. You can choose a simple wizard or an advanced interface, both included. Your installers are cross platform and ready for the international market. Your customers get the exact JVM your application needs.
But there's a lot more to getting your app ready for the market than just building an installer. JExpress takes the drudgery out of preparing a new version for distribution and manages updating your customers automatically.
With a click, JExpress...
- Eliminates classes your application doesn't actually use
- Builds a JAR file and directory tree for you
- Creates your installer, autoupdater, and uninstaller
- Distributes your new installers and updaters to the web
Has JExpress received 100% Pure Java certification?
Yes. JExpress received Sun's 100% Pure Java certification for version 2.1. We are committed to keeping the same high standards that give you flexible, cross platform installers, updaters, and uninstallers in future releases.
Do installers created with JExpress support multiple languages?
Yes. JExpress creates installers, autoupdaters, and uninstallers that are ready for the international market. Currently, JExpress supports English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.
If you'd like us to support another language, please let us know at
Can I create multilingual installers with JExpress?
Yes. JExpress automatically generates multilingual installers. Your installer will automatically use the language your customer's system is configured to use.
Currently JExpress supports English, Dutch, French, German, Italian,
Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. If you'd like to support
another language, please contact technical support at
Can I install directly from the web?
Yes. JExpress creates native installers for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. So if your customer is running a modern browser that supports downloading and executing binary files, then they simply click on your URL, and the browser downloads and launches the installer.
How does JExpress work?
You use JExpress Builder to do everything. You can choose a simple wizard or an advanced interface, both included.
With either interface, first you enter a few key items such as the product name, distribution server, and web site URL. You can also easily customize your installers and updaters using Java. Then, you relax while JExpress
- Eliminates the classes your application doesn't actually use
- Organizes your classes and other files into a directory tree
- Creates your installers and updaters
- Uploads them to your web site
Or, you can simply move the distribution files and installer to a CD or DVD for traditional distribution.
JExpress produces both native and pure Java installers and distributes them online. Native installers install the exact JVM your application needs if it isn't already on the target machine. The Pure Java installer gives you a single file that is 100% cross platform for systems that already have java.
Regardless of which installer your customer chooses, it downloads and runs quickly because it only contains the classes your application actually uses. Your customers will be happy to see a compact system that doesn't waste disk space, and you'll have less load on your server. Try JExpress to see how it works. Or, learn how to build JExpress projects with our step-by-step examples.
How does the autoupdate feature work?
JExpress provides a simple, yet elegant, autoupdate. It insures your customers are always using your latest version. You can decide who gets updates and who doesn't.
With JExpress, there's no API needed; no programming required; no special background task to maintain. A simple selection configures your web site and your customers' machines to manage updates seamlessly. You control whether updates happen automatically every time they launch your application, or just when the customer wants it.
Although your customers may be eager for your latest release, they usually don't want to waste their resources or complicate their operation just to stay up-to-date. With JExpress they don't have to.
When JExpress installs your app, it also configures your customers' machines to handle autoupdates. You can configure JExpress so your customer's system will check your web site every time they start your program, or only when they're ready to update. If you configured JExpress to check your web site every time your app starts, then the menu item used to launch your Java app starts the JExpress Updater, not your app. The Updater updates your app and then launches it. If you prefer only having customers update their system on demand, then JExpress adds an Update menu item which they can use whenever they'd like to verify they have the latest version.
Your customers usually won't even notice the JExpress Updater. It quickly connects to your web server and compares cryptographically strong digests of all your app's files. This verification process usually only takes a few seconds when all your customers' files are up-to-date. If a user only has a dial-up connection to the Internet, then if the user has their system configured to automatically connect whenever an online resource is needed, the autoupdate still works as expected.
If JExpress discovers any new or modified files, then it downloads and installs only those files. If your web server is unavailable when JExpress Updater attempts connection, then it simply launches your app.
Review a step-by-step example to learn more about how autoupdate works. The JExpress Updater only works with menu items that are java commands.
How do I customize my installers and updaters with JExpress?
Java. To customize your installers and updaters just write a simple WizardPanel. You can insert your customization at almost any point in the process. You simply enter the name of your custom Java class on the Custom panel in the Advanced interface. Or for the updater, click on the Customize Updater button on the Auto-Update panel and enter your custom classnames.
You can find out more about customization. Or learn how to design a custom WizardPanel with a step-by-step example.
Can I collect information from the user during installation?
Yes. Just customize your installers with a form on a simple WizardPanel.
Can I access information, such as the installation directory name, in my custom extensions?
Yes. You can access any information that the installer uses. It's all in the installer's Property List.
A more comprehensive description about customization is available here. Or, learn how to design a custom WizardPanel with our step-by-step example.
What is the size of the installer?
A JExpress installer adds just 500KB to your application. If you include a JVM, it's likely to be the biggest part of your distribution. JExpress compresses all the files. But because the JVM is already compressed, it won't compress much more. If you have any installer or updater custom classes, they're usually tiny.
Can I use a single JExpress installer for multiple, related projects?
Yes. All you need to do is set up multiple JExpress projects, and use a master project to combine them.
You can nest subprojects as deeply as you need. In general you just:
- Build each subproject in a different directory
- Include each build directory in the master project
- Distribute the master project with JExpress.
To learn more about creating an single installer for multiple projects, review the step-by-step example.
Does JExpress let me create multiple install types (e.g., Typical, Compact)?
Yes. If you use JExpress, you can create an installer that lets your customers decide which setup type fits their needs. And, you can name and describe each install type so it integrates with your product's structure.
To configuring your installer for multiple install types:
- Create a folder for each of your application's components.
- Add the files and directories used by each component to the folders.
- Name and describe your install types, and select the component folders for each one.
When your customer installs your product, they'll see a list of your install types with their descriptions. JExpress will only install the exact files and directories you specified for the install type they select.
Do I need a JVM on my machine to install JExpress?
No. You don't need a JVM on your machine to install JExpress if you use a native installation. JExpress will automatically install the JVM for you if it doesn't find one on your system.
If you want to use one of our pure Java solutions, then you'll need a JRE 1.4.x, 1.5.x, 1.6.x, or later on your machine.
Do my customers need a JVM on their machine to install my application?
No. If your customers use one of the native installers JExpress creates for you, then the installer automatically installs the JVM if it doesn't find one.
If your customers use one of the pure Java solutions that JExpress generates, then they'll need JRE 1.4.1 or later installed on their system.
Can I change the version of the JVM that is distributed with the native installers?
Yes. Review the technical FAQ to learn how to ship whichever JVM that is best for your application.
Do the native installers have to distribute a JVM?
No. If you'd prefer that the native installers simply look for a valid JVM on the user's machine and inform the user if it doesn't find it, then you can select the native installers with "no JVM".
Do I use a Wizard to create my installation programs with JExpress?
It's your choice. JExpress lets you use either a wizard or a more advanced interface to build your Java installation programs.
Do my customers use a Wizard with the installation program?
Yes. You get sophisticated Wizard installation programs with JExpress. Your customers quickly move from dialog box to dialog box.
You can easily add panels and custom commands to the install wizard if you use JExpress.
Can I use JExpress even if I'm not a Java programmer?
Yes. JExpress is for both install engineers and programmers. It includes two ways to create installers, the Wizard and the Advanced interface. The Wizard uses a simple and fast wizard that lets you create installers within a few minutes.
If you are a programmer, then you can use the Advanced interface to add your own custom Java classes to handle special situations. The Advanced interfaces uses a tabbed interface, so you can jump straight to the right setting when you want to make a change.
Can JExpress create installers for non-Java products?
Yes. JExpress creates installers for non-Java programs. JExpress' sophisticated file and directory management makes it easy to add non-class files to your project. With a single selection, you can add an entire directory tree. There is no practical limit on the number of directories or files your project can include. JExpress automatically compresses your files to create a small footprint for distribution.
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