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JExpress uses a non-platform specific way to define ways for your customers to launch your system. For example, if your customer runs your installer on a Windows machine, then JExpress can add a Windows menu item on the Start | Programs menu. It also creates a double-clickable exe in your application directory to start your Java apps. If another customer uses the same installer on a Unix system, then your JExpress installer creates a launch script for them and a menu item if the customer is running Gnome, KDE, or Xfce.
Learn how to convert PNG to an ICO or ICNS file.
You can have your launchers added to the highest level of the menu system or desktop, or you can define a Group. If you'd like the launchers to be added to a deeper Group, then simply put a forward slash (/) in between each Group. You must always use the forward slash regardless of the OS you are using or targeting.
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Add
Launcher Settings
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Change
Launcher Settings
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Erase
Tell user how to start your application
Launcher item
On Windows machines, JExpress creates a menu item and desktop icon with this name and on Mac it creates a desktop icon.
To create a menu on Gnome, KDE, or Xfce systems or a unix launch script, then you must also fill in the short name.
Script name
Icon filename
For example, if you want to create launchers with icons on Windows, Mac, and KDE, then you'd create 3 icon files with the same base name (i.e., the name to the left of the period) and the extensions .ico, icns, and .png (for Windows, Mac, and KDE, respectively). All the files would need to be located in the same directory and you'd enter the full directory name and basename into the "icon filename" field on the launcher dialog box. So if your icons reside in c:\myapp\icons and you have the files myicon.ico, myicon.icns, and myicon.png in that directory, you'd enter: c:\myapp\icons\myicon in the "icon filename" field.
Here's a list of the icon extensions for the various platforms:
| Platform | File extension |
| Windows | .ico |
| Mac OS X | .icns |
| KDE ** | .png
or .xpm |
Notes ** If there is a base name with both a .png and .xpm extension, then the .png file will be used in a Gnome, KDE, or Xfce launcher.
*** On Windows, the icon you specify is only used in the menu, not the EXE file that JExpress creates. You may be able to change the icon for the EXE with a freeware tool like Resource Hacker to the EXEs in the winapp\javamenus subdirectory. Remember that you'll need to apply the new icon whenever you receive an update to JExpress because JavaApp.exes can change with new versions.
DeNova does not officially support changing icons with third party programs, but it has worked for some of our customers. The most reliable way to change this is to buy a source license and change the icon included in the build.
Learn how to convert PNG to an ICO or ICNS file.
Java command
Show Java console
Executable file
If the launcher starts your Java app, then the class filename, including any required package name, that contains the Main method must be entered into this field. For example, if your Java application's Main resides in myApp.class and myApp.class is part of the com.myCompany package, then you should enter com.myComany.myApp into the Executable file field.
If you don't know the name of the class that contains the Main method and your class files are contained in a JAR file, then you can unjar your JAR file and look at the META-INF/MANIFEST.MF file with a text editor. You'll find a line, near the top of the file, which gives the property for the Main-Class:. Copy the entire line after the : and paste it into the Executable file field.
Important: If you usually start your Java app with the -jar parameter, then please follow the instructions in the tutorial to insure that all the fields are entered correctly.
If you want to create a launcher on Windows that displays an HTML file, then you should fill in the HTML filename in this field. Almost all Windows systems today are configured so they will automatically launch the user's web browser when the command line contains an .html or .htm filename. You should not include a script name for a launcher which is just the HTML filename, because no other OS currently supports automatic launching of filenames.
Required field.