How do I create a deployable Spring Boot Jar file from VSCode?

Are you tired of struggling to package your Spring Boot application into a deployable Jar file from VSCode? Look no further! In this article, we’ll guide you through the step-by-step process of creating a deployable Spring Boot Jar file from the comfort of your VSCode editor.

What is a Deployable Jar File?

A deployable Jar file, also known as a “fat Jar” or “uber Jar,” is a self-contained Java archive that includes all the necessary dependencies and configurations to run your Spring Boot application. This file can be easily deployed to any environment, such as a cloud platform, container, or even a simple Java-based server.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the tutorial, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

• A Spring Boot project set up in VSCode with the necessary dependencies and configurations.
• The Java Extension Pack installed in VSCode.
• Maven or Gradle build tool installed and configured in your project.

Step 1: Configure Your Build Tool

In this step, we’ll configure your build tool (Maven or Gradle) to include the necessary dependencies and plugins to create a deployable Jar file.

Maven Configuration

If you’re using Maven, open your pom.xml file and add the following plugins:

<build>
  <plugins>
    <plugin>
      <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
      <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
    </plugin>
  </plugins>
</build>

These plugins will help Maven create a deployable Jar file with the necessary dependencies and configurations.

Gradle Configuration

If you’re using Gradle, open your build.gradle file and add the following plugins:

plugins {
  id 'org.springframework.boot' version '2.3.4.RELEASE'
  id 'io.spring.dependency-management' version '1.0.11.RELEASE'
  id 'java'
}

springBoot {
  mainClass = 'com.example.MyApplication'
}

These plugins will help Gradle create a deployable Jar file with the necessary dependencies and configurations.

Step 2: Create a Deployable Jar File

In this step, we’ll use your build tool to create a deployable Jar file.

Maven Command

Open your terminal in VSCode and navigate to your project’s root directory. Run the following Maven command:

mvn clean package

This command will create a deployable Jar file in your project’s target directory.

Gradle Command

Open your terminal in VSCode and navigate to your project’s root directory. Run the following Gradle command:

gradle clean build

This command will create a deployable Jar file in your project’s build/libs directory.

Step 3: Verify Your Deployable Jar File

In this step, we’ll verify that your deployable Jar file is correct and can be executed.

Navigate to the directory where your deployable Jar file was created (either target or build/libs) and run the following command:

java -jar your-jar-file.jar

your-jar-file.jar with the actual name of your deployable Jar file.

If everything is correct, your Spring Boot application should start, and you should see the familiar “Started” message in your console.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

In this section, we’ll cover some common issues you might encounter when creating a deployable Jar file from VSCode.

Issue 1: Missing Dependencies

If you encounter a “NoClassDefFoundError” or a similar error when running your deployable Jar file, it’s likely that some dependencies are missing.

Solution:

• Check your pom.xml or build.gradle file to ensure that all necessary dependencies are included.
• Verify that your build tool is correctly resolving dependencies.

Issue 2: Incorrect Main Class

If you encounter an error when running your deployable Jar file, it’s possible that the main class is not correctly specified.

Solution:

• Check your pom.xml or build.gradle file to ensure that the main class is correctly specified.
• Verify that the main class is correctly configured in your Spring Boot application.

Conclusion

And that’s it! You’ve successfully created a deployable Spring Boot Jar file from VSCode. With these simple steps, you can now easily package and deploy your Spring Boot application to any environment.

Remember to troubleshoot any issues that may arise and double-check your configuration files to ensure that everything is correct.

Happy coding!

Build Tool	Command	Output Directory
Maven	mvn clean package	target
Gradle	gradle clean build	build/libs

This table summarizes the build tool commands and output directories for your reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get ready to package your Spring Boot application into a deployable jar file from the comfort of VSCode!