CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javamavenjavafx
Ahmet Yasar
Ahmet Yasar

Reputation: 11

Is it still realistic to deploy a JavaFX application using Maven in a Web Browser

I read here that it's possible to deploy a JavaFX application into a Web Browser: embed-a-javafx-application-in-a-html-webpage

Now I got stuck at the beginning when he talks about using the java packager to create an executable .jar file. I'm using Maven which uses JavaFX 18, so I followed this tutorial on how to package a java project

java-packager-with-jdk11

Here I got confused with the tools he uses. I downloaded the listed tools and moved the jpackager files into the according directories. Still in cmd it gives me an "Error during initialization of boot layer": jdk.packager not found.

It's pretty worth it knowing how to create a Package from a Java Project, but is this the proper way?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 309

Answers (1)

Basil Bourque
Basil Bourque

Reputation: 338835

tl;dr

No, not realistic.

You have a choice of alternatives.

Legacy technologies

That page uses legacy technologies, Java Web Start and Java applets.

Java applets have been phased out by all web browser makers, so Oracle consequently decided to phase out the technology. Java applets were first deprecated in Java 9, and later deprecated for removal in Java 17.

Oracle no longer expects end-users to have a standalone JRE or JDK installed on their computer. So Java Web Start is no longer available by default for the consumer market. Java Web Start is no longer included in Java 11+.

However, an open-source implementation continues in the OpenWebStart project. For some environments, such as corporations or schools where the installed base of computers is centrally managed, OpenWebStart may be a useful way to distribute apps.

Ship your app with JVM bundled

Oracle now expects desktop apps and mobile apps to bundle a JVM within their product. This does mean the app must be built in editions, one edition for each supported chip architecture and OS, but also allows the app to be tested with the same JVM that will eventually run the app.

For more info, see the Oracle white paper (PDF format), Java Client Roadmap Update of 2020-05.

New tooling is available to support this JVM-within-app packaging:

Search Stack Overflow to learn more about packaging JavaFX/OpenJFX apps for distribution. Many Questions and Answers have already been posted on the topic. The topic is rapidly evolving, including cutting-edge approaches such as using GraalVM for ahead-of-time compilation to run native.

Vaadin Flow

If you want to build a single-page web app written in pure Java without you needing to learn HTTP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, WebSockets, Push, etc., consider using Vaadin Flow. This open-source framework is based on venerable Jakarta Servlet technology.

You write Java code similar to that in JavaFX, defining forms by specifying widgets arranged with layout managers. Vaadin Flow then auto-generates the needed HTML+CSS+JavaScript to render the user interface remotely in the web browser while maintaining the state of your app on the server. Pure Java on server, no Java on client.

Upvotes: 7

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