Create a native bundle for a JavaFX application that has a preloader

Question

I have a JavaFX application that uses a preloader. What I'd like to do is package it up as a native bundle (Mac app or Windows exe file that contains a copy of the Java JDK) so users who don't have the right version of Java on their computers can still run the app. I've followed Oracles instructions for creating native bundles and for adding preloaders. What I get is exactly what you'd expect—a native bundle that runs my program.

The problem is that the bundle completely ignores my preloader. It just runs the main program (after a long load time). I know the preloader is included because, when I run the jar file alone, it shows up.

Has anyone successfully bundled a JavaFX app with a preloader? Can you guide me through how to do so? I'm using Netbeans.

EDIT:

Here is the Preloader:

import javafx.application.Preloader;
import javafx.application.Preloader.ProgressNotification;
import javafx.application.Preloader.StateChangeNotification;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.ProgressIndicator;
import javafx.scene.image.ImageView;
import javafx.scene.layout.Pane;
import javafx.stage.Stage;
import javafx.stage.StageStyle;

public class Splash extends Preloader {

    ProgressIndicator bar;
    ImageView Background;
    Stage stage;

    private Scene createPreloaderScene() {
        bar = new ProgressIndicator();
        bar.setLayoutX(380);
        bar.setLayoutY(250);
        bar.setPrefSize(60, 60);

        Background = new ImageView("Images/Splash.png");
        Background.setEffect(null);

        Pane p = new Pane();
        p.setStyle("-fx-background-color: transparent;");
        p.getChildren().addAll(Background, bar);

        Scene scene = new Scene(p, 794, 587);      
        scene.setFill(null);
        scene.getStylesheets().add(Scrap2.class.getResource("CSS/Progress.css").toExternalForm());
        bar.setId("myprogress");
        return scene;
    }

    @Override
    public void start(Stage stage) throws Exception {
        this.stage = stage;
        stage.setScene(createPreloaderScene());    
        stage.initStyle(StageStyle.TRANSPARENT);
        stage.show();
    }

    @Override
    public void handleStateChangeNotification(StateChangeNotification scn) {
        if (scn.getType() == StateChangeNotification.Type.BEFORE_START) {
            stage.hide();
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void handleProgressNotification(ProgressNotification pn) {
        bar.setProgress(pn.getProgress());
    }    

    @Override
   public void handleApplicationNotification(PreloaderNotification arg0) {
          if (arg0 instanceof ProgressNotification) {
             ProgressNotification pn= (ProgressNotification) arg0;
             bar.setProgress(pn.getProgress());
          }
    }

}

And here is the first part of my main program:

@Override
public void init(){

    /*Root*/
    root = new Pane();
    root.setStyle("-fx-background-color: transparent;");
    root.setLayoutX(150);

    notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(0.1));

    /*Create Background*/
    createBinding(stage);
    createContents();
    createSaveMessages();
    createFlipBook();

    notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(0.2));

    /*Add Pages*/
    createOverview();
    createAccounts();
    notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(0.3));
    createCounselors();
    createInsurance();
    notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(0.4));
    createAssets();
    createPapers();
    notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(0.5));
    createLoans();
    createFuneral();
    notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(0.6));
    createWills();
    addAllPages();
    notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(0.7));

    /*Add Toolbar on top*/
    createToolBar();
    notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(0.9));

    /*Create Opening Instructions*/
    opening();

    /*Load Saved Data*/
    load();
    notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(1.0));


}

@Override
public void start(Stage stage) {
    /*Scene*/
    scene = new Scene(root, 1200, 700);
    stage.setScene(scene);
    scene.setFill(null);

    /*Stage*/
    this.stage = stage;
    stage.initStyle(StageStyle.TRANSPARENT);
    stage.centerOnScreen();
    stage.show();
}

Answer 1

This example will work with installers exe/msi/image only (have no Mac to test dmg). This step by step assumes, that you already installed the needed tools like InnoSetup, Wix Toolset, etc. It also assumes, that you have configured the tools to run with netbeans (setting paths, edit config files, etc.).

Prerequirements:

• Inno Setup for .exe package, download the unicode version: http://www.jrsoftware.org/isdl.php
• Wix Toolset for .msi package: http://wixtoolset.org/
• Set Windows Paths for Inno Setup and Wix Toolset

Step 1:

I've made a new JavaFX Application Project in Netbeans like this:

Step 2:

Then I gave the project a name and said, that the wizard should create a preloader project with the given name too. Additionally it should create an application class in given package name.

Step 3:

After that I right clicked on the application project and select under deployment "Enable Native Packaging".

Step 4:

In step 4 I've created the code for the application. The preloader will be updated in the init() method and only there. All your work for initialization the application should go here.

JavaFXPreloaderApp.java

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.application.Preloader;
import javafx.event.ActionEvent;
import javafx.scene.Parent;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.layout.StackPane;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class JavaFXPreloaderApp extends Application {

  @Override
  public void start(Stage primaryStage) {
    Scene scene = new Scene(createContent(), 300, 250);
    primaryStage.setTitle("Hello World!");
    primaryStage.setScene(scene);
    primaryStage.show();
  }

  public Parent createContent() {
    Button btn = new Button();
    btn.setText("Say 'Hello World'");
    btn.setOnAction((ActionEvent event) -> {
      System.out.println("Hello World!");
    });

    StackPane root = new StackPane();
    root.getChildren().add(btn);
    return root;
  }

  @Override
  public void init() throws Exception {
    // A time consuming task simulation
    final int max = 10;
    for (int i = 1; i <= max; i++) {
      notifyPreloader(new Preloader.ProgressNotification(((double) i) / max));
      Thread.sleep(500);
    }
  }

  /**
   * @param args the command line arguments
   */
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    launch(args);
  }
}

Step 5:

The only missing part was the preloader code. Look for the only needed method handleApplicationNotification, all the other methods, like handleProgressNotification or handleStateChangeNotification, you can safely delete, or make them empty stubs.

JavaFXPreloader.java

import javafx.application.Preloader;
import javafx.application.Preloader.ProgressNotification;
import javafx.application.Preloader.StateChangeNotification;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.ProgressBar;
import javafx.scene.layout.BorderPane;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

/**
 * Simple Preloader Using the ProgressBar Control
 */
public class JavaFXPreloader extends Preloader {

  ProgressBar bar;
  Stage stage;

  private Scene createPreloaderScene() {
    bar = new ProgressBar();
    BorderPane p = new BorderPane();
    p.setCenter(bar);
    return new Scene(p, 300, 150);
  }

  @Override
  public void start(Stage stage) throws Exception {
    this.stage = stage;
    stage.setScene(createPreloaderScene());
    stage.show();
  }

  @Override
  public void handleApplicationNotification(PreloaderNotification info) {
    // Check if info is ProgressNotification
    if (info instanceof ProgressNotification) {
      // if yes, get the info and cast it
      ProgressNotification pn = (ProgressNotification) info;
      // update progress
      bar.setProgress(pn.getProgress());
      // if this was the last progress (progress reached 1), hide preloader
      // this is really important, if preloader isn't hide until app loader
      // reaches the start method of application and tries to open the stage of
      // the main app with the show() method, it will not work.
      if (pn.getProgress() == 1.0) {
        stage.hide();
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 6:

Now it was time to bundle the application to native packages (image only/exe/msi). I right clicked on the applicaton project and selected the packages to create one by one.

Step 7:

After choosen to package as image only your directory should look like this:

Step 8:

After digging deeper in your directory you should find the image:

Step 9:

A double click on the .exe file should start your application:

Remarks:

The biggest mistake you could do is, to call things in your application start methods. Normaly all have to be done in the application init method, there you load the huge files, there you will connect to the db, or there you load a huge custom layout with a lot of css or fxml files. And there is the place to say good bye to the preloader (progress = 1). Try not to do things at the preloader in your application start method. Don't think in Thread's, the preloader is there to do things before the main stage is shown, so load all in sequence.