deck builder and card generator don't work on mac

[Huggybaby]

If anyone would like to package these apps for mac, Snacko is taking volunteers.

[Chris H.]

This option is only available on Mac Os

I'm hip.

I had fun figuring out how to do it, but I became accustomed to launching a jar file.

[exilekng]

Which version of Eclipse do I need?? There are like 5.. I'm kinda new to this and want to figure it out.

[Snacko]

Eclipse IDE for Java Developers will do (still has more components that you'll ever use)

[exilekng]

This is not a task for me.. I personally have 0 knowledge on programming let alone creating a program. I did manage to ask a friend who does code and he said that the entire code would have to be re-written. So, until someone makes a package for Mac. I will have to continue using the jar to run it.

I had a feeling from the start that this was going to be difficult. So I hope that someone can package them and make the minor changes that I had recommended. That is if the original author will allow it. Now I can foresee a programming class or two in my near future.

[Chris H.]

I have been fairly busy with the MTG Forge project for the last year. And like others here on our forums, I too like to stop by on occasion and say hello and offer words of encouragement.

We have several Mac people who use MTG Forge. I considered devoting some of my time towards constructing a Mac build of Forge for distribution. But then again, launching a jar file on the Mac is fairly easy. And I can direct myself towards achieving other goals.

[Snacko]

Nothing needs to be rewritten it's just a packaging which can be easily done once you have a mac and want to have a proper macos application bundle.

[exilekng]

Snacko,

If you could explain to me what I need to do to make it work because I have a mac. I spent a few hours trying to make it work. I have no idea of what I need to do.

[Snacko]

1. Create a directory with all the deckbuilder files.
2. When eclipse starts up choose a workspace directory.
3. File>New>Java Project, name it however you want
4. File>Import>File System, browse again to your deckbuilder directory, and select all files
5.

File -> Export… -> Other -> Mac OS X application bundle -> Next

Select a launch configuration
paste in any needed arguments
give it an application name
pick a JVM version
there is a check box for using SWT

and last there is an option to assign an Icon.

[Nate]

No need for Eclipse to generate it. You can use this as a template:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?mlnzjkmwjmz
The DeckBuilder.app directory would go in the root of the DeckBuilder (next to the EXE files). I made this with mtgDeckBuilder-2.9.6a, to update to later versions just put all the JARs into the DeckBuilder.app/Contents/Resources/Java directory. Note the DeckBuilder.app is not completely self contained like most Mac APP files, it must be in the same directory with the data, images, etc folders.

This same app bundle can be used as a template for any Java app, just replace the JARs and change the plist file. I didn't bother making an app bundle for the Rules Viewer since all the JARs would have to be in both bundles and would double the download size. People can just run the Deck Builder and open the Rules Viewer from the Tools menu.

On a related note, Snacko, going to your download folder from your signature, I'm not sure which one is the latest version. I'm also not sure if I need to download more than one zip and combine them. Maybe you could have a "latest" folder with only the files for the latest version?

[Snacko]

However when you do it with eclipse yo get a fully contained package that has a JNI wrapper to launch the application which defines the "mac experience".

I cleaned up the packages as they're not needed anymore and uploaded the newest version.

just the deckbuilder / rulesviewer
http://www.mediafire.com/?imjzjdy3nmw

and the whole arcane workspace
http://www.mediafire.com/?2ztwnkwftmh

[Nate]

However when you do it with eclipse yo get a fully contained package that has a JNI wrapper to launch the application which defines the "mac experience".

I think you mean "native wrapper" rather than "JNI wrapper".

All Mac apps are application bundles. An application bundle is just a folder full of stuff. Eclipse is going to generate something just like the zip I posted. It is an app bundle that contains a small native launcher (JavaApplicationStub) that launches the JVM with the right classpath. When a "Something.app" directory appears on a Mac, it appears executable. When you package a Java app like this, Mac users won't be able to tell the difference from a native app. There isn't a way to make it more Mac friendly.

You don't need a Mac to make an app bundle, you just need the right directory structure, JavaApplicationStub, a plist text file, and an icon file. You can just update the JARs (and plist if you add/remove JARs) in the zip I posted and it will work.

[Nate]

I cleaned up the packages as they're not needed anymore and uploaded the newest version.

just the deckbuilder / rulesviewer
http://www.mediafire.com/?imjzjdy3nmw

and the whole arcane workspace
http://www.mediafire.com/?2ztwnkwftmh

Cool, thanks!

Do you think you could do the same for the card generator? There are many files with different version numbers and it isn't clear which ones I need to unzip in the same directory to use the app.

You rock!

[Snacko]

I remember reading somewhere they used JNI to load the classes, but all I ever used JNI is extending the java code, so I'm not sure about it.

Can't you make a fully contained app bundle ? I suppose people want that and not only the jar within bundle which is kind of useless.

For cardgen I pretty much described in the tread which files you need, the rule is the higher number the newer version and that's all you need.

[Nate]

I remember reading somewhere they used JNI to load the classes, but all I ever used JNI is extending the java code, so I'm not sure about it.

JavaApplicationStub is the native code that just launches the JVM.

Can't you make a fully contained app bundle ? I suppose people want that and not only the jar within bundle which is kind of useless.

I'm not sure what you mean. An app bundle by definition is fully contained. It is a directory that contains everything you need to run an app. On a Mac it will show up as just an icon, and the app runs when you double click it. Since it is self contained, you can move this icon (which is really the directory full of crap) and run it from any location.

The proper way to launch a Java app is to have an app bundle containing the JARs and JavaApplicationStub to launch the JVM and run the main class. The users just double click the app bundle, they never actually know it is a Java app or that it contains JARs.

All you need is a template like I posted. You put in your JARs, update the main class in the plist text file, and you have an official, proper app bundle.