Re: launching application in Windows without DOS command window

Thank you for the suggestions.  I've found an acceptable way to start a 
Java application on Windows, without using or displaying a DOS command 
window.  The only drawback is a brief flash of a taskbar button.

Here I will describe the way I've found.  My platform is Java 5 on 
Windows 2000.

STEP:

0. Verify a javaw command, that can launch your application from the 
command prompt.

1. Create a batch file which contains "start" followed by your 
application-launching command.  For instance make a file named "run.bat" 
which contains a line like, "start javaw MyClass".

2. Create a shortcut to that batch file.  In the properties of the
shortcut set it to Run: Minimized.

3. Launch the application by double clicking on the shortcut.

Note that you cannot make this work by double clicking on the batch 
filename, or on a jar or class filename.  Unless you have discovered 
more than I, which I would be glad to learn.

This works equally well with a main class file or with an executable jar 
file.

If you are curious, I experimented with permutations in the 
application-launching command and tell what I found below.  The 
variations tested are:
   "start" or not;
   start with "/B" or not;
   "java" or "javaw";
   class or jar.

In all cases the shortcut is set to run minimized.  The app was launched 
by double clicking on the shortcut to the batch file.


APPLICATION-
  LAUNCHING
   COMMAND      -     results

java MyClass - the command prompt taskbar button (TBB) stays while
the app runs.  Closing TBB closes the app.

javaw MyClass - TBB stays while the app runs,
but closing TBB does not close the app.

start java MyClass - The command window opens on the screen (in spite
of being minimized in the shortcut).  Closing it closes the app.

start javaw MyClass - TBB flashes briefly.  Otherwise behaves as
desired.

start /B javaw MyClass - same as above.

start /B java MyClass - TBB stays while app runs.  Closing it closes the
app., like "java MyClass" above.


Rich Hammer
Hillsborough


Joe Sam Shirah wrote:
>     For whatever reason, the minds at Sun have not resolved it.  About the
> best you can do with javaw is to have a batch ( .bat ) file with this line
> in it:
> 
> start /b javaw ClassYouWantToRun
> 
> *THEN*
> 
> in the shortcut properties, select
> 
> Run    Minimized
> 
>     You will still see a brief *minimized* DOS window on the taskbar (
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>From: "Richard O. Hammer" <[email protected]>
>>>To: "Java Users Group" <[email protected]>
>>>Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2005 9:11 PM
>>>Subject: [Juglist] launching application in Windows without DOS
>>>commandwindow
>>>
>>>>Is there an easy way to launch a Java Swing application in Windows 2000
>>>>without opening a DOS command window?
>>>>
>>>>I know that I can make a .bat file containing "java ClassName" and then
>>>>double click on the file name, or create a shortcut to the .bat file,
>>>>but that always seems to open the command window which stays open as
>>>>long as the application is running.
>>>>
>>>>My Googling has found Java Web Start, a lot about Java Web Start.  I've
>>>>started looking at that and it looks like probably it would be easier
> 
> to
> 
>>>>learn to use Java Web Start for my "hello world" application than it
>>>>would be to get a Masters degree.
>>>>
>>>>But I still imagine that it can be easy.  I am not concerned about
>>>>security.  I am not loading anything over the net.  I just want to
> 
> start
> 
>>>>my local application with no more hassle than starting Notepad.
>>>>
>>>>Can I create a Windows shortcut that says something like
>>>>java -classpath path1;path2 MyClass
>>>>to the Windows OS, without opening a command window?