## Deployment Helper

The Deployment helper enables you to automate deployment and/or packaging of your workspace or application. It can simply copy files and/or automatically create executable jar files (requires JDK1.2 or higher).
The Deployment Helper performs the following tasks:

- Files and directories given in the source listbox are copied to the output directory. During this copy, some filters can be applied. Files such as .java,.class and .jar files are handled specially.
- After copying, a .jar can be build (created in ../[output directory]). Several options affect the .jar file creation (such as Main Class, Bean classes).

How files are handled during copying

- .java files
  .java files are deployed to [outputdir]/package/subpackage/file.java, where 'package' and 'subpackage' are given from the package of the .java file.
- .class files
  .class files are deployed to [outputdir]/package/subpackage/file.class, where 'package' and 'subpackage' are given from the package of the .class file.
- .jar files
  If you add a .jar file to the list of deployment directories, the jar file will be automatically unpacked to [output dir]/. This is useful to create executable jars, which contain their libraries.
- All other files
  are deployed relative to the Ressource Base directory. This means if the RessouceBase is set to "c:\myprog" and the output dir is "d:\tmp\deploy\", the File "c\myprog\images\splash.gif" would be deployed to "d:\tmp\deploy\images\splash.gif". You can set several Ressource Bases by separating them using the ';' character.

Note: To deploy Applications using AnyJ's GUIBuilder, add [anyjInstallDir]\lib\runtime.jar and [anyjInstallDir]\lib\aelfred.jar to the list of files to deploy.
Filter
The deployment helper works on a directory level rather than file level. To prevent specific files from deploying, set a filter for the appropriate directory (e.g. ".proj;.txt;makefile"). The fiter is a ';' separated list of file endings, all files ending with one of the strings listed in the filter are excluded from deployment.
Output Dir
This is the directory, where the files are deployed to.
Step by Step

- Create a new Deployment Configuration if necessary (Later on reachable in the Tools menu)
- Add all directory roots, .jars containing files you want to deploy. Set filters if necessary, check the 'descent into subdirectories' to copy directories recursively.
- set the outputdirectory
- set the ressourcebase if necessary
- set the name of the resulting jar (filename only)
- set the main class of the jar (optional, double clickable jars)
- set public bean classes of the jar (optional)
- set the 'create jar' option
- run deployment directly from the deployment helper or using the Tools|Deployment submenu