Lesson: Packaging Programs in JAR Files
The Java™ Archive (JAR) file format
enables you to bundle multiple files into a single archive file.
Typically a JAR file contains the class files and auxiliary resources
associated with applets and applications.
The JAR file format provides many benefits:
- Security: You can digitally sign the contents of a JAR
file. Users who recognize your signature can then optionally grant
your software security privileges it wouldn't otherwise have.
- Decreased download time: If your applet is bundled in a
JAR file, the applet's class files and associated resources can be downloaded
to a browser in a single HTTP transaction without the need for opening a new
connection for each file.
- Compression: The JAR format allows you to compress
your files for efficient storage.
- Packaging for extensions: The extensions framework provides a
means by which you can add functionality to the Java core platform, and
the JAR file format defines the packaging for extensions.
Java 3D™ and
JavaMail™ are examples of extensions developed by Sun™.
By using the JAR file format,
you can turn your software into extensions as well.
- Package Sealing: Packages stored in JAR files can
be optionally sealed so that the package can enforce version consistency.
Sealing a package within a JAR file means that all classes defined
in that package must be found in the same JAR file.
- Package Versioning: A JAR file can hold
data about the files it contains, such as
vendor and version information.
- Portability: The mechanism for handling JAR files is a
standard part of the Java platform's core API.
This lesson has four sections:
This section shows you how to perform basic JAR-file operations, and how
to run software that is bundled in JAR files.
This section explains manifest files and how to customize them so you can do such things as seal packages and set an application's entry point.
This section shows you how to digitally sign JAR files and verify the signatures of signed JAR files.
This section introduces you to some of the JAR-handling features of
the Java platform.
The JAR file format is an important part of the
Java platform's extension mechanism. You can learn more about
that aspect of JAR
files in the
The Extension Mechanism
trail of this tutorial.
Test what you've learned about JAR.
Additional References
The documentation for the Java Development Kit includes information about the Jar tool:
