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Thread: locating the path to a jar file within a program

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    Default locating the path to a jar file within a program

    hello, i am writing a program which will be turned into an executable .jar file. i need to locate the directory in which the jar file is located, using code within the jar file. my code works only in the directory where my source code is located (not the .class files, the .java files).

    public class Example{
            public static void main(String[] args){
                    try{
                    	String exampleClassDirectory = Example.class.getResource("Example.class").getPath();
                    	File jarFileDirectory = new File(exampleClassDirectory).getParentFile();
                    	String containingDirectory = jarFileDirectory.getParent();
                    	JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(new JFrame(), containingDirectory,"Found jar file directory.",JOptionPane.PLAIN_MESSAGE);
                    }
                    catch(Exception e){
    	                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(new JFrame(), e.toString(),"error",JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
                    }
            }
    }


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    Default Re: locating the path to a jar file within a program

    Put the Jar file in the same area as your code



    You can find it under "Properties" if you're using Eclipse:


    Path: /wenguin/src/McWoo/Testing.java
    Type: File (Java Source File)
    Location: C:\Users\Paul\workspace\wenguin\src\McWoo\Testing. java
    Last edited by javapenguin; January 2nd, 2011 at 04:43 PM.

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    Default Re: locating the path to a jar file within a program

    Wait, is the code supposed to make it a jar file for you? If not, just go to export and Runnable Jar File. If that won't work, try export and Jar File.

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    Default Re: locating the path to a jar file within a program

    Quote Originally Posted by javapenguin View Post
    Put the Jar file in the same area as your code



    You can find it under "Properties" if you're using Eclipse:


    Path: /wenguin/src/McWoo/Testing.java
    Type: File (Java Source File)
    Location: C:\Users\Paul\workspace\wenguin\src\McWoo\Testing. java

    this will be distributed onto other computers, where i won't know where the jar file is. that's why i'm trying to make code that locates the jar's path for me, so i don't have to tell the user to put the jar file in a specific directory.


    Quote Originally Posted by javapenguin View Post
    Wait, is the code supposed to make it a jar file for you? If not, just go to export and Runnable Jar File. If that won't work, try export and Jar File.
    No, i am not trying to make a jar file. i can do that myself. i am looking to locate the path of the jar file from within the program. i.e. there's an executable named Example.jar which i made. within Example.jar, there is Example.class. there is code inside Example.class which locates the directory containing Example.jar. that is the goal.
    Last edited by nemo; January 2nd, 2011 at 04:56 PM.

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    Default Re: locating the path to a jar file within a program

    Create a new File, which will create a file in the directory of the jar, then get the path from there
    File file = new File("temp");
    String path =file.getParentFile().getAbsolutePath();

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    javapenguin (January 2nd, 2011)

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    Default Re: locating the path to a jar file within a program

    Hmmmm...well,

    File aFile = new File();

    String absolutePathName = aFile.getAbsolutePath();

    String pathName = aFile.getPath();

    Also, maybe I'm wrong, but don't you need the full path anyway, not just the .class or .java part?

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    Default Re: locating the path to a jar file within a program

    Quote Originally Posted by copeg View Post
    Create a new File, which will create a file in the directory of the jar, then get the path from there
    File file = new File("temp");
    String path =file.getParentFile().getAbsolutePath();
    That's the problem. How will it know where the directory is if the jar is installed or put anywhere on other computers?

    Also, why are you returning the path of the parent file? Why not the jar file itself?

    ---Edit---

    Oh the class is inside the jar file. Ok. Never mind then.
    Last edited by javapenguin; January 2nd, 2011 at 05:38 PM. Reason: Never mind.

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    Default Re: locating the path to a jar file within a program

    String exampleClassDirectory = Example.class.getResource("Example.class").getPath ();

    Also, it appears you're using a static variable called class to call getResource()

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