Question

I want to use Eclipse to develop JavaFX. I am trying to import a JavaFX 2 application created in Netbeans 7.2 into Eclipse. But Javafx 2 uses its own Ant build syntax. So when I try to import this Ant project into Eclipse I get the following error:

Specified build file does not contain a javac task

How do I solve this error? I know there are JavaFX plugins for Eclipse, but I haven’t been able to find any that solves my problem. Or do I need to try something else?

Answer 1

Open http://efxclipse.org/install.html, scroll down to “In Eclipse 4.2 for the adventurous“.

After you have configured properly by setting the path for JavaFX SDK from Window->Preferences, create a new JavaFX project (File->New->Other->JavaFX->JavaFX Project)

Right click on your projet->Import->File System->Select the top level of your NetBeans created project folder-> Select src folder,build.xml, manifest.mf and any other FXML files you wish to import.

For a distributable standalone executable JAR, refer to http://www.efxclipse.org/tut2.html. If you face any problem in Step 11- Click on the “ant build.xml and run” Link in the Build section of the editor, then goto Window->Preferences->Ant->Runtime->Global Entries->Add External JAR->(Browse to your JDK lib folder) Add tools.jar.

If your Build still fails and shows this error ->

BUILD FAILED C:\Workspace\eclipseFx\AppOne\build\build.xml:82:
Problem: failed to create task or type
javafx:com.sun.javafx.tools.ant:resources

It means ${java.home} is pointing to the JRE and can access jfxrt.jar but fails to access ant-javafx.jar. Find the absolute path for ant-javafx.jar in your JDK and edit that line in build.xml and it should build fine. This error has been fixed in the Nightly Build.

P.S. – You can also create JavaFX RCP applications now. Eclipse 4 Applications can use JavaFX as the rendering technology instead of SWT.