Accessing Files From Runnable Jar

Question

Quick disclaimer: I am very new to java and I know that this question has been answered in other threads, but I can't understand the answers there so I'm really hoping for a very simple/understandable explanation please.

Anyway, my problem is that I am using Eclipse to make a program which uses text files and pictures and while it works through Eclipse, if I try to export it into a runnable jar, I cannot access my resources anymore. Currently my directory structure when I run things from Eclipse is:

Desktop -->
   workspace -->
      QuizProgram -->
                  bin
                  src
                  Questions.txt
                  right.png

and I access my image and text files through:

BufferedReader br =  new BufferedReader(new FileReader("Questions.txt"));

BufferedImage right = ImageIO.read(new File("Right.png"));

If anyone could please I give me a step-by-step explanation of where to move my files/change my code I would appreciate it very much. I've looked through many other threads and Classpath/ClassLoader are really confusing me. I've tried some

this.getClass().getResource("File.txt");

stuff also but nothing seems to work. Please help, I have a finished program and this last thing is really frustrating, thanks!

Edit 1: So I tried what user2933977 suggested and changed getResource to getResourceAsStream and everything worked wonderfully! Thanks a lot user2933977 for your help.

Side note: Yeah, yeah I get that this is a duplicate but I think that how you phrase a question and interact with responders helps a lot anyway. Take it easy, I got it to work.

You can keep the file relative to the jar (in the same folder) and access the files as you normally would with string arguments labelling the file name — andrewdleach, Sep 02 '15 at 20:56
I would really like everything to be contained within the jar, do you have any suggestions for that? Thanks anyway! — KilRil, Sep 02 '15 at 21:20
If you want it contained within the jar you would have to store some type of Config variables on the system. Look at [this post](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15808360/serialized-files-dont-work-when-project-is-converted-to-executable-jar) — andrewdleach, Sep 02 '15 at 21:22
No offense, but are you sure? Because I've already managed to get my .txt files to be packaged inside my jar and accessing them is my real problem. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would think its possible without config files, right? — KilRil, Sep 02 '15 at 22:01
You can package them for sure, but accessing the files inside the jar is the real issue. The relative path will always change without any modifications to the classloader — andrewdleach, Sep 02 '15 at 22:02
if you can't follow the dozen or so simple examples and read the thousands of simple complete tutorials to do this on the general internet spoon feeding you a solution will not do you any good. because you still will not comprehend it. **duplicates are duplicates regardless of your comprehension** — , Sep 02 '15 at 22:50

score -1 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 02 '15 at 22:01

You're not quite showing enough code but to use getResource(), your file would need to live in the same directory as where your .class files live. For example, you may have something that looks like:

Desktop -->
  workspace -->
    QuizProgram -->
      bin -->
        QuizProgram -->
          YourClass.class
      src -->
        QuizProgram -->
          YourClass.java 
      Questions.txt
      right.png

I'm guessing a bit here but that is the default "Java Project" in Eclipse. So move your Questions.txt to the same directory as your .java file and Eclipse will move it for you to the classes directory:

Desktop -->
  workspace -->
    QuizProgram -->
      bin -->
        QuizProgram -->
          YourClass.class
          Questions.txt <--- Eclipse moves this for you
      src -->
        QuizProgram -->
          YourClass.java 
          Questions.txt
      right.png

And you'll be able to use the getResource() method as you have it written.

Having said that, you'll eventually get to a build system that will do much of this for you but this should get you started.

Accessing Files From Runnable Jar

1 Answers1