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Manual v.0.20

File List


Essentials Packager End User Last Updated
  • 03 August 2001

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File List

The file list is a file, named in the main config, which lists the files and directories to include in the package.

It has a special syntax that allows to specify recursion for directories, executable attributes for files, generation of java launch scripts.

Please refer to "examples\hello\hello_filelist.txt".

A file list consists of two types of elements:

  • archive entries which tell where to find (on the packager's machine) and where to put (on the end-user's machine) files.
  • script entries which customize the automatic generation of Java launch scripts for your applications. The process of launch script generation detects the Java VM on the end-users's machine and writes a shell script in the main install directory that executes this VM on the specified class.

Let's look at the details of the syntax.

Archive entry: (Flags) <OriginBase> | <DestBase> | <CommonPath> [ | <*.ext>,!<*.ext>,... ]
  • <OriginBase> is a directory on your local machine. It can be null, absolute, or relative. It supports path-macros (see lower on this page).
  • <DestBase> is a file or directory which will be created on the destination machine. It will be appended to the default destPath (see .vai file) or the user chosen dest directory. It can be null, but is always relative. It supports path-macros.
  • <CommonPath> is both a relative pathname on the local and the dest machines. It can be a single file or a directory (all files are included recursively). It does NOT support path-macros.
  • <*.ext>... is an optional comma-separated list of file extensions to include or to exclude from the archive. A leading '!' excludes the files. The '.' can be ommitted, for example if you want to exclude a whole subdir named "excl_dir", you can write "!*excl_dir".

(Flags) can be:

  • (E) : the file is an executable file (on Windows target: this is ignored)
  • (N) : Non-recursive. By default, directories are processed recursively. This flag forces the archiver to include only this directory, not subdirs.

Path-macros: They are predefined macros or MS-DOS drive letters that can precede paths. They must be contained into brackets, eg. "[$HOME]". Allowed macros are:

  • $HOME : is expanded as the users home directory ("C:\" under Windows).
  • $PROGRAM : is expanded as the default location from programs ("C:\Program Files" for example under Windows, "/usr/local" under Unix)

Macros can only be followed by relative pathnames. Drive letters are MS-DOS conventional drive letters, eg. "C:". Drive letters can only be followed by absolute pathnames.

  Script entry
  {
    <ScriptType>
    <KeyWord1>=<arg1>
    <KeyWord2>=<arg2>
    ...
  }
  

<ScriptType> can be:

  • JavaLauncher : the script will execute a defined class with the Java VM

<KeyWords>

  • ScriptName : (required) name of the script file generated (no extension)
  • Class : (required) class to execute
  • JavaMode : (optional) console or windows (no console window opened)
  • JavaArgs : (optional) flags passed to the VM (-mx, -D...)
  • ClassPath : (optional) classpath
  • ClassArgs : (optional) args passed to the excuting class

Copyright © 2001, Axel von Arnim <vonarnim@club-internet.fr>, All Rights Reserved