Move away from exe4j: Any ideas

Hi

the Spark installation brings along a Spark.exe that is made with exe4j. This is again a commercial tool. While exe4j is a pretty good tool, we are facing a significant issue, as the community does not have access to exe4j.

We have played around with launch4j, JSmooth and Winrun4j for the creation of the exe. We also have checked the option of a simple batch file to start Spark. All options are not really satisfying.

The best tool to get an exe is IMHO launch4j. The problem with launch4j is the fact that it still uses javaw.exe to execute Spark. Any grouping of windows on MS Windows will not use the custom icon (Spark flame) but the Java coffee cup. This is inacceptable as it confuses the user. Without grouping launch4j shows the flame, but as soon as the amount of open windows requires a grouping we see a coffee cup. :frowning:

Any ideas on better ways how to create a spark.exe with a custom icon and working window grouping?

Walter