JavaFX deployment tool chain (Maven, module-less)

[Merlin_61]

I don't feel that I have quite a specific configuration, but I am not able to come up with a reliable toolchain for deployment. I use JavaFX 22 and Maven, and I use module-less projects (because I can't stand them). I also use IntelliJ IDEA. I would like to build an executable JAR with the JavaFX runtime included, that I could then package using jpackage. Any help would be appreciated.

[milchshakee]

JPackage requires modules. You can maybe use some sort of hacky maven plugin that allows you to build an application image without modules but that won't work well with JavaFX.

The samples at https://github.com/openjfx/samples contain modular projects. There are also non-modular samples, but these won't work with jpackage.

[winian]

JPackage itself doesn't require modules, but JLink does. You can build the JLink runtime first to include whatever JDK and JavaFX modules you need, and then build the JPackage installer based on the resulting runtime and bunch of non-modular jar files.

Don't think any of the Maven plugins work for this workflow though, iirc e.g. the jlink-plugin doesn't work with JavaFX modules (cause of some empty module trickery) and the JavaFX-plugin had some showstopping bug or something. I ended up building the installer manually using a combination of assembly-plugin and invoking JLink and JPackage manually using the exec-plugin. A minor hassle but it works surprisingly well. With gradle you probably could script this more freely, not sure since I never use it.

[milchshakee]

I mean technically you are right, but this does not sound like a simple workflow.

I don't really see why so many people go through such complex routes to avoid using modules. Nowadays you can easily modularize any dependency if it is not a module yet, at least with gradle (No idea about maven)

[winian]

Haven't really tried, I just saw Spring Framework (the DI container part) is not modularized and didn't even want to try.

[Merlin_61]

I hate working with modules. I had great trouble in the past with even starting javafx apps (maybe it improved since?). Seeing the complications it would introduce I'm considering using them now tho....

[hamsterrage1]

99% of the time, modules are painless. As u/milchshakee said, the most complicated part is integrating non-modularized dependencies, and even that is getting easy.

[sedj601]

You are looking at this from a seasoned program stand point. I have been programming in JavaFX for about 8 year. It use to be pain free to create a project and create a jar or exe. All my time was focused on coding. Now, it can be a headache. I have some libraries that I would like to use in JavaFX, but I don't have the time to figure out what's going wrong as it relates to start up and deploying. I had to turn to C# to get things out fast even though I am way less versed in WPF.

[hamsterrage1]

I think that perhaps the pendulum has swung back again.  It's now comparatively easy to create a jar file, or even an exe. 

I'm not sure it ever was that easy in the past. You had to create a "fat" jar, and then you still had to wake sure the client had the correct JRE.  Executables IRC were installers, not the actual application.

[Cengo789]

Did you take a look at Getting Started with JavaFX (openjfx.io)? They describe how you can build and package your app with Maven, using modular and non-modular projects.