How to Create an Executable File from Eclipse

After having completed your project in Eclipse, your next goal will be to create a runnable version of your project. The simplest and most standard process for running a Java project is to run an executable file (.exe). In this guide,...

Part 1 of 3:

Exporting from Eclipse

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Right click your project and click "Refresh". Alternatively you can right click and hit F5 on your keyboard. This is to ensure all your code is up to date and won't conflict when trying to export.
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Right click your project and click "Export".
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Expand the "Java" folder and double click the "Runnable JAR file" option.
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Configure the specifications of the JAR file. The first thing you should do is select the main class (class with the main method) from the drop down menu under "Launch configuration".
1. Secondly, select the "Export destination" via the "Browse..." button or by manually typing the location.
2. Lastly, ensure the "Extract required libraries into generated JAR" radio button is selected. Do not worry about the rest of the menu. Click "Finish" when you are satisfied with your selections.

Part 2 of 3:

Creating an Icon

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Find or create an image that will look appropriate with your program as an icon. Remember, the icon is the picture the user will click on whenever they load your program, so it will be seen often! Try to pick a memorable or descriptive image. The image size must by 256x256 in order to work properly as an icon.
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Go to convertico.com. This is a free site that converts common image files (.png, .jpg) to a usable icon file (.ico).
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Either enter a URL or browse your computer's files to locate the image you previously selected. Click the 'Go' button

Part 3 of 3:

Create the Executable File

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Download launch4j. This is a free program designed to compile all your resources into one executable file. You can download launch4j from http://sourceforge.net/projects/launch4j/files/launch4j-3/3.1.0-beta1/.
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In the first text field, type or select via browsing the location you want your executable file to be stored. Make sure the filename has '.exe' at the end of it!
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In the second text field, type or select via browsing the .jar file previously exported from Eclipse.
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In the fourth text field labelled 'Icon:', type or select via browsing the '.ico' file we previously converted. This is optional, and if left blank, your OS will revert to its default executable file icon.
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Under the 'JRE' tab at the top, select the 'Min JRE version' and type in '1.4.0'. This ensures that the users have a sufficient version of Java to use your program. This can be changed by you, but 1.4.0 is a safe version.
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Click the gear button called 'Build wrapper' at the top of the screen.
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Give the .xml file an appropriate name and click "Save". The .xml file is standard, don't worry about it. Your executable file will now be created!

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Micah Soto

Update 05 March 2020

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