Getting applications to users, if possible in one piece, is a difficult topic, so reducing the necessary effort is a good idea. Java offers a solution for deployment with Java Web Start. The end user needs a JRE on the system, but otherwise just needs to click on a special link, which will get handled by Java Web Start, and it handles all the rest. JRuby, since it's based on the JVM, can make use of Java Web start to deploy applications too.
Mirko Stocker, known for being on the team who implemented the first Ruby refactoring tools for Eclipse, walks us through developing a small JRuby GUI application, an Obect Browser, and building the necessary Java Web Start configuration. The article shows the necessary steps such as signing the Jar files or how to setting JRuby properies with Java Web Start.
As a bonus, Mirko looks at the new Ahead Of Time (AOT) compiler in JRuby 1.1. This allows to compile Ruby code to Java bytecode at build time. With this, it's possible to ensure certain pieces of the Ruby code are compiled to bytecode, instead of hoping that the Just In Time (JIT) compiler will pick it up and compile it (the article also explains some other issues that the AOT helps resolve).
Read Mirko Stocker's Deploying JRuby Applications with Java Web Start.
Mirko Stocker, known for being on the team who implemented the first Ruby refactoring tools for Eclipse, walks us through developing a small JRuby GUI application, an Obect Browser, and building the necessary Java Web Start configuration. The article shows the necessary steps such as signing the Jar files or how to setting JRuby properies with Java Web Start.
As a bonus, Mirko looks at the new Ahead Of Time (AOT) compiler in JRuby 1.1. This allows to compile Ruby code to Java bytecode at build time. With this, it's possible to ensure certain pieces of the Ruby code are compiled to bytecode, instead of hoping that the Just In Time (JIT) compiler will pick it up and compile it (the article also explains some other issues that the AOT helps resolve).
Read Mirko Stocker's Deploying JRuby Applications with Java Web Start.
Community comments
DEMO?
by Raphaël Valyi,
Re: DEMO?
by Werner Schuster,
Error?
by Jay Chung,
DEMO?
by Raphaël Valyi,
Your message is awaiting moderation. Thank you for participating in the discussion.
Guys, how the hell can you speak about a hello world webstart deployement without submiting a webstart demo? I means really, you've done the required work, now it's just about hosting it on any trash server so why don't you do it? I like webstart on the RIA potential of applets, but it's just that I really can't understand that way guys are trying to sell webstart or JavaFX.
Re: DEMO?
by Werner Schuster,
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1.) If you need to be convinced of the benefits of Webstart:
java.sun.com/products/javawebstart/demos.html
2.) To play with this sample app, download the provided code (be sure to update the jar paths in the jnlp file to fit your system).
This article is not trying to "sell" Web Start - it's showing how to use it with JRuby. Selling Web Start is Sun's business.
Error?
by Jay Chung,
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Hi there, I did exactly take same steps as you did even with your example, I got this error "java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: ruby/rob (wrong name: rob)"
Is there anything I am missing?
By the way, your example is working fine without re-compiling.
thanks,