Packaging Java Swing Applications into Executable Binaries: Options and Comparison

I primarily develop with Java and enjoy creating small utilities using the Swing GUI library, but Swing applications require a JRE to run, which limits their distribution to users who already have Java installed.

Current Java program packaging options include:

Compiling the JAR to a native binary with GraalVM.

Using JLink to create a custom runtime image and package it as a binary.

Generating a launcher with Exe4J and wrapping it in a self‑extracting archive.

Writing a batch script and packaging it as a self‑extracting archive.

Distributing the plain JAR and requiring users to install a JRE and launch it manually.

The following table summarizes the pros and cons of each approach:

技术方案

优点

缺点

GraalVM

性能提升，减少资源损耗，安全性高

构建耗时，调试困难，不好支持反射

Jlink

二进制文件，比携带环境更轻量级

构建复杂，调试困难，体积大

Exe4J

降低使用门槛，有更好的体验，便于调试

体积大，需要 JRE 运行，不适合做小工具

批处理

降低使用门槛，配置灵活，易于更新，便于调试

体积大，需要 JRE 运行，不适合做小工具

仅 Jar 包

分发文件小，容易更新

没有 JRE 的电脑上不能运行，需要命令启动，使用门槛高，体验不好

Because binary distribution makes debugging harder while plain JAR distribution hurts user experience, I created a WinForm‑based packaging tool that converts a Java program into a binary executable. The tool’s UI is shown in the attached screenshot.

Below are the Maven pom.xml and the sample Swing source file HelloSwing.java used with the tool.

<?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>
        <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>
                    <descriptorRefs>
                        <descriptorRef>jar-with-dependencies</descriptorRef>
                    </descriptorRefs>
                    <appendAssemblyId>false</appendAssemblyId>
                    <archive>
                        <manifest>
                            <mainClass>org.hellloswing.HelloSwing</mainClass>
                        </manifest>
                    </archive>
                </configuration>
                <executions>
                    <execution>
                        <id>make-assembly</id>
                        <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 {
        // Initialize look‑and‑feel
        FlatLightLaf.install();
        UIManager.setLookAndFeel(new FlatDarkLaf());
        // Create window
        JFrame jFrame = new JFrame("Hello Swing！");
        jFrame.setSize(500, 500);
        jFrame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);
        jFrame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        JPanel jPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
        jPanel.add(new JLabel("Hello Swing！", JLabel.CENTER), BorderLayout.CENTER);
        jFrame.getContentPane().add(jPanel);
        jFrame.setVisible(true);
    }
}

After building a fat JAR, I export a minimal JRE, then feed both the JAR and the JRE into the custom packaging tool, which produces an .exe that can be launched with a double‑click.

This post serves as a record of the process.