Wrapping a java command line application with launch4j and maven

Question

I would like to wrap a java based command line app and all it's dependencies into a single *.exe file using maven and launch4j.

Now I have read all similar questions on SO like this one and this but I can not get it to work.

Can anybody supply a simple pom.xml snippet, how to achieve this with all needed dependencies. And by the way, what maven build goal should I run in Eclipses run configuration?

Here is what I have copied from SO:

<!-- Launch4j -->
        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
            <artifactId>maven-shade-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>1.4</version>
            <executions>
                <execution>
                    <phase>package</phase>
                    <goals>
                        <goal>shade</goal>
                    </goals>
                </execution>
            </executions>
            <configuration>
                <shadedArtifactAttached>true</shadedArtifactAttached> <!-- Make the shaded artifact not the main one -->
                <shadedClassifierName>shaded</shadedClassifierName> <!-- set the suffix to the shaded jar -->
            </configuration>
        </plugin>

        <plugin>
            <groupId>org.bluestemsoftware.open.maven.plugin</groupId>
            <artifactId>launch4j-plugin</artifactId>
            <version>1.5.0.0</version>
            <executions>

                <!-- Command-line exe -->
                <execution>
                    <id>l4j-cli</id>
                    <phase>package</phase>
                    <goals>
                        <goal>launch4j</goal>
                    </goals>
                    <configuration>
                        <headerType>console</headerType>
                        <outfile>target/importer.exe</outfile>
                        <jar>target/${artifactId}-${version}-shaded.jar</jar> <!-- 'shaded' is the value set on shadedClassifierName above -->
                        <errTitle>App Err</errTitle>
                        <classPath>
                            <mainClass>${mainClass}</mainClass>
                        </classPath>                
                        <jre>
                            <minVersion>1.5.0</minVersion>
                            <maxVersion>1.6.0</maxVersion>
                            <initialHeapSize>128</initialHeapSize>
                            <maxHeapSize>1024</maxHeapSize>
                        </jre>
                    </configuration>
                </execution>
            </executions>
        </plugin>  

when I run the launch4j:launch4j goal in Eclipse (if this is the correct one?) I get:

Failed to execute goal org.bluestemsoftware.open.maven.plugin:launch4j-plugin:1.5.0.0:launch4j (default-cli) on project importer: The parameters 'headerType', 'jre' for goal org.bluestemsoftware.open.maven.plugin:launch4j-plugin:1.5.0.0:launch4j are missing or invalid -> [Help 1]

Maybe I'm just launching the false goal ...

Answer 1

Drejc!

I could generate a .exe file with a configuration very similar to yours. follows my entire pom:

<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <groupId>test</groupId>
    <artifactId>test</artifactId>
    <packaging>jar</packaging>
    <version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <name>test</name>

    <properties>
        <mainClass>foo.App</mainClass>
    </properties>
    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-shade-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>1.4</version>
                <executions>
                    <execution>
                        <phase>package</phase>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>shade</goal>
                        </goals>
                    </execution>
                </executions>
                <configuration>
                    <shadedArtifactAttached>true</shadedArtifactAttached> <!-- Make the shaded artifact not the main one -->
                    <shadedClassifierName>shaded</shadedClassifierName> <!-- set the suffix to the shaded jar -->
                </configuration>
            </plugin>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>com.akathist.maven.plugins.launch4j</groupId>
                <artifactId>launch4j-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                <executions>
                    <!-- Command-line exe -->
                    <execution>
                        <id>l4j-cli</id>
                        <phase>package</phase>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>launch4j</goal>
                        </goals>
                        <configuration>
                            <headerType>console</headerType>
                            <outfile>target/importer.exe</outfile>
                            <jar>target/${artifactId}-${version}-shaded.jar</jar> <!-- 'shaded' is the value set on shadedClassifierName above -->
                            <classPath>
                                <mainClass>${mainClass}</mainClass>
                            </classPath>
                            <jre>
                                <minVersion>1.5.0</minVersion>
                                <initialHeapSize>128</initialHeapSize>
                                <maxHeapSize>1024</maxHeapSize>
                            </jre>
                        </configuration>
                    </execution>
                </executions>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
            <artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
            <version>LATEST</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

</project>

I changed the plugin's groupId and artifactId to the vorburger's one, but the alakai's version should work too. Make sure that:

1. You configured the correct mainClass
2. You have at least one dependency declared (I had some trouble in the past with some 'very small' artifacts/zero dependency artifacts)
3. You could download the plugin from the repos

I just tested this pom with the simple maven archetype, so I can see no reason for this not working on your machine. If you have any trouble, just ask here.

To generate the .exe file, I need to run a 'mvn clean package' on a terminal or, in Eclipse, Right click on your project, 'Run as...' > 'Maven build...' and type 'clean package' on the goal textfield.