How to Package Java Swing Apps into Standalone Executables Without a JRE

Java Swing desktop applications require a JRE to run, which limits distribution. This article lists five common packaging methods: GraalVM native image, JLink custom runtime, Exe4J launcher, batch script with self‑extracting archive, and plain JAR distribution requiring a JRE.

Each method’s advantages and disadvantages are compared: GraalVM offers performance and security but has long build time and limited reflection support; JLink produces lightweight binaries yet builds are complex and output size can be large; Exe4J lowers the entry barrier and improves user experience but still needs a JRE and results in larger files; batch scripts are flexible and easy to update but also require a JRE and produce large packages; plain JARs are small and easy to update but cannot run on machines without a JRE.

To balance these trade‑offs, the author created a WinForm‑based packaging tool that converts a Java program into a native executable. The tool’s UI is shown below.

Usage steps: start with a Swing project (example pom.xml and HelloSwing.java shown), build a fat JAR, export a minimal JRE, then use the packaging tool to bundle the JAR and JRE into an EXE that can be launched by double‑click.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<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/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
  <groupId>org.helloswing</groupId>
  <artifactId>HelloSwing</artifactId>
  <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
  <properties>
    <maven.compiler.source>17</maven.compiler.source>
    <maven.compiler.target>17</maven.compiler.target>
    <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
  </properties>
  <dependencies>
    <!-- https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.formdev/flatlaf -->
    <dependency>
      <groupId>com.formdev</groupId>
      <artifactId>flatlaf</artifactId>
      <version>3.5.1</version>
    </dependency>
  </dependencies>
  <build>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>3.7.1</version>
        <configuration>
          <!-- 获取所有项目依赖项 -->
          <descriptorRefs>
            <descriptorRef>jar-with-dependencies</descriptorRef>
          </descriptorRefs>
          <!--  去除jar-with-dependencies后缀  -->
          <appendAssemblyId>false</appendAssemblyId>
          <!--   指定启动类    -->
          <archive>
            <manifest>
              <mainClass>org.hellloswing.HelloSwing</mainClass>
            </manifest>
          </archive>
        </configuration>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <id>make-assembly</id>
            <!-- 绑定到包装阶段 -->
            <phase>package</phase>
            <goals>
              <goal>single</goal>
            </goals>
          </execution>
        </executions>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </build>
</project>

package org.hellloswing;

import com.formdev.flatlaf.FlatDarkLaf;
import com.formdev.flatlaf.FlatLightLaf;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;

public class HelloSwing {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws UnsupportedLookAndFeelException {
        // 初始化皮肤
        FlatLightLaf.install();
        UIManager.setLookAndFeel(new FlatDarkLaf());
        // 初始化窗口
        JFrame jFrame = new JFrame("Hello Swing！");
        // 设置大小
        jFrame.setSize(500, 500);
        // 关闭窗口后退出
        jFrame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
        // 设置居中
        jFrame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        // 设置元素
        JPanel jPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
        jPanel.add(new JLabel("Hello Swing！", JLabel.CENTER), BorderLayout.CENTER);
        jFrame.getContentPane().add(jPanel);
        // 显示窗口
        jFrame.setVisible(true);
    }
}

This record documents the entire packaging process.