Introduction to Programming

Command line with an executable .jar file

It is possible to avoid specifying the main class in the command line. Instead, one can create an "executable" .jar file. It can be accomplished by placing the name of the main class—the one you need to run and that contains the main method—into the manifest file. Here are the steps:

• Create a text file, manifest.txt (the name actually does not matter, but it makes the intent clear) that contains the following one line: Main-Class: com.packt.javapath.ch04demo.MyApplication. There has to be a space after the colon (:) and there has to be an invisible new line symbol at the end, so make sure you have pressed the Enter key and the cursor has jumped to the beginning of the next line.
• Execute the command ...