Re: launching application in Windows without DOS command window

There is perhaps a simpler approach, if you are interested.

You can make a shortcut directly to your javaw.exe, then provide the 
necessary arguments in the "target" field for the shortcut itself.
Eg:

Target: "C:\Program Files\java150\bin\javaw.exe" -cp 
"junit.jar;myproject\classes" -ea junit.awtui.TestRunner

will launch JUnit, without creating a DOS command window and without 
needing a batch file. Of course, the "start minimized" will now apply 
to your application's first window, so you'll probably want to set 
that to normal.

Hope this helps!

-Frank

At 12:06 PM 9/10/2005, you wrote:
>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?
>
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