How to create a JAR file for a Java project

This post explains how to create a JAR (Java ARchive) file for a Java project.

Steps to create a JAR file for a Java project

The steps to create a JAR file for a Java project are:

1. Ensure your project takes into account all considerations
2. Build JAR file
3. (optional) Set the icon for your JAR file

1. Ensure your project takes into account all considerations

Follow the instructions on this external link.

2. Build JAR file

JAR file is built automatically from IDE like Eclipse or Apache NetBeans.

3. Set the icon for your JAR file

You cannot change the default JAR icon of your application.

Instead, you can generate an OS version of your program where you can add an icon. Some third-party tools aid to create simple native ‘wrapper’ of the JAR file.

• Windows: use JSmooth
• MacOS X: check this link
• Linux: Create launcher

The tool JPackage is availabe from OpenJDK 16 and version above, and it provides the functionality to create exec files.

If you want to add an icon, you cannot do it directly to the JAR file, because it is Java application that defines the default icon. You need to use a wrapper app that allows to customize the icon.

External References

• Apache NetBeans; “Packaging and distributing Java Desktop Applications“; Apache NetBeans
• StackOverflow users; “Set icon for executable JAR file“, StackOverflow