Launch4j

Launch4j is a handy tool that helps you wrap your Java applications, which are usually in jar format, into lightweight Windows native executables. This means you can run your Java apps just like any other Windows program!

Key Features of Launch4j

Here are some cool features:

• Wraps jars into Windows native executables and works on Linux too!


• No need to extract the jar from the executable.


• You can use a custom application icon with different resolutions and color depths.


• A native pre-JRE splash screen in BMP format appears until your Java app is ready.


• The process name matches the executable filename, making it easy to identify your app.


• You can either bundle a JRE or search for the newest JRE/SDK version.


• If the right Java version isn’t found, it opens a page for downloading it.


• Works with both GUI and console applications!


• You can pass command line arguments and even set constant arguments if needed.


• Set initial and maximum heap sizes to manage memory usage better.


• Tweak JVM options like system properties or garbage collection settings.


• You have an option to change the current directory to where the executable is located.


• Add custom version info shown by Windows Explorer.

This tool is lightweight at just 21 KB! Plus, it's free for commercial use. It even comes with a sample app and Ant script that automates building from Java sources to a native executable. Oh, and don’t worry—your wrapped program will work on all versions of Windows (98/Me/NT/2000/XP), while Launch4j itself works on NT/2000/XP and Linux (it’s been developed and tested on FC2).

What’s New in This Release?

The latest update has some exciting features:

• Support for 64-bit Windows and 64-bit JRE was added!


• A new Java runtime preference option lets you customize your experience even more!


• You can now set initial process priority and run only one instance of an application at a time!


• Dynamically adjustable initial and maximum heap sizes were introduced.


• Error reporting has been revamped to support custom messages—super handy!


• The runtime logging feature gives you more detailed outputs now.

If you're ready to get started with Launch4j, check out this link for more details: Download Launch4j.