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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-06-17T20:33:49+00:00

Now that I’ve learned a bit more, I can ask a more direct question.

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Now that I’ve learned a bit more, I can ask a more direct question.

Scenario:
I have a Java project in IntelliJ Idea, with the end goal of making a standalone .jar capable of running on Windows or Linux, either run from the command line with java -jar jarname.jar or simply by being double-clicked like any normal, simple jar.

I’ve written a handful of classes, located in my src/package/name directory. However, one of my classes requires the use of an external class, i.e. a class not located in my source directory or is not part of Java’s default set of .jar‘s in the JDK.

How do I go about configuring IntelliJ to build the .jar artifact AND include the necessary resources inside of it, with everything needed put in the proper place, so that my class can use the resource by an ordinary import statement? An answer given in example form would be awesome; I’ve almost figured it out, but there must be just one thing I’m not doing correctly.

Thanks for your time,

Yankee

Sources:

http://tukaani.org/xz/java.html

Viewing the directory structure of that source gives a better idea:

http://git.tukaani.org/?p=xz-java.git;a=tree

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    One does not simply package Mordor into their jar.

    After much experimentation, I found a solution that, while maybe not the right way to do it, definitely works. The key is to:

    1. Define your external library (a .jar in my case) as a module dependency.

    2. Add your external resources as (what IntelliJ calls) an "Extracted Directory."

    For the first item, go to File -> Project Structure. Click "Modules" in the Project Settings list on the left. In the list just to the right, you will see a list of modules (whatever they are) which belong to your project. Leave that alone, but make sure that it is highlighted/selected as the current module. What you want is the settings for that module, which will show in the window on the right. Go to the "Dependencies" tab. On the rightmost part of the screen will be a little green plus sign. Click that, choose "Jars or directories" and navigate to your relevant resource you want to bring along with your finished jar.

    Note: don’t be fooled by the check box that says "Export." Its only purpose is to cause endless pain and suffering as you wonder why the dependency isn’t exported along with your jar. Always remember, the export box is trying to get you to click on it. It wants to be ticked :3

    Next, add that resource as an extracted directory by going to File -> Project Structure. Then "Artifacts" in the Project Settings list on the left. Click the green plus sign at the top to make a new "Jar" artifact "From modules with dependencies." In the right hand window, under the "Output Layout" tab, click the little green plus sign and choose "Extracted Directory." Once again, browse to your precious jar.

    You should now be able to successfully build a jar artifact that contains all the resources it needs to run as you designed it.

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