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javapathembedded-resource

Absolute/relative path in java (jar, ide)

My program uses Image.class, which helps me recieve image.

Image img = new ImageIcon("Shooter2D/res/background.jpg").getImage();

When the program is run from the development environment - everything works, after compiling a jar file - does not work. Tell me how to properly set the path to work in the IDE (Intellij IDEA) and in the archive. Shooter2D.jar contain:

- META-INF
Manifest-Version: 1.0
Main-Class: Shooter2Dv22082013.Main
- res
all pictures
- Shooter2Dv22082013
all .class files, main is Main.class

indicative figure: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/801/eyjv.png/

Solution

  • Here's what the javadoc says about the constructor of ImageIcon:

    Creates an ImageIcon from the specified file. The image will be preloaded by using MediaTracker to monitor the loading state of the image. The specified String can be a file name or a file path.

    (emphasis mine)

    Your image is not stored in a file. It isn't in your file system. It's in a jar that is itself in the classpath. And that's where you want to load it from. Wherever the jar file of your application is on the end-user's machine, your program wants to load it from this jar file. And all the resources in this jar file are available from the ClassLoader.

    So you should use

    new ImageIcon(MyClass.class.getResource("/res/background.jpg"))

    or 

    new ImageIcon(MyClass.class.getClassLoader().getResource("res/background.jpg"))