Appendix A.   Installation using install4j

This appendix uses install4j ( http://www.ej-technologies.com/products/install4j/overview.html), a cross-platform tool for creating native installers for Java applications. install4j supports Windows, UNIX, Linux, and the Mac OS, although I'll only be creating installers for Windows. This is mainly to keep things simple, and because I only have regular access to Windows machines.

Any kind souls who have written example install4j installers for other platforms should contact me, and I'll include a link to their work in a future version of this appendix.

I'll develop installers for two examples from the book: BugRunner and Checkers3D. BugRunner comes from Chapter 11 on 2D sprites; it uses the standard parts of J2SE and the J3DTimer class from Java 3D. Checkers3D, from Chapter 15, is our first Java 3D example.

install4j can create an installer which includes a JRE, either as part of the .exe file or downloaded automatically from install4j's Web site when the installer first runs. However, I'll assume that Java is already installed.

It is altogether more tricky to create an installer for an application that requires parts of Java 3D, an extension which isn't included with J2SE or JRE.

The installers will be built with an evaluation copy of install4j Enterprise Edition v.2.0.7. It's fully functional, but adds several "this is not a registered copy" messages to the installation sequence.

Downloads

• The PDF file for the draft appendix (the old Appendix 1) (535 KB). Last updated: 14th June 2004.
  
• Zipped Source code for Appendix A (237 KB). Last updated: 21st April 2005. The book's code.
  
  
• BugRunner Installer (1.37 MB) Last updated: 14th June 2004.
  It assumes that J2SE/JRE is present on your machine, but not Java 3D.
• Checkers3D Installer (3.58 MB) Last updated: 14th June 2004.
  It assumes that J2SE/JRE is present on your machine, but not Java 3D.

• Up to the Killer Game Programming in Java Index Page
• Back to M3G Chapter 6. Dynamically Textured Billboards
• On to Appendix B. Installation using Java Web Start

Dr. Andrew Davison
E-mail: ad@coe.psu.ac.th
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